Family Matters
by TheMysteriousComicGeek
Summary: Based in 'The Family Business' universe. This story is a collection of one-shots following the lives of different transgenics in their new hunter families. This will be a continuous story for whenever I have a short story idea.
1. Give Me My Drink!

**Hi everyone, these one-shots are part of The Family Business Universe. Though each short story is based on the other transgenic children and their lives. Please review.**

Give Me My Drink!

"Jondy!" Syl's head popped up, hearing Rufus holler out her sister's name. She put down the pencil, kneeling on the seat. She was working on her math problems when the shouting started. "I swear girl, you give me that drink right now!" Zane's feet pounded down the stairs, to listen to the ruckus from the kitchen.

"Hell no,"Jondy shouted right back. "You heard what the doctor said!" Pounding feet and a crashing bottle had Syl and Zane running towards the kitchen.

"You broke it,"Rufus grumbled as he picked out the remaining glass shards in the sink. Jondy stood proudly, arms crossed. Her dirty blond hair was in a fishtail braid. She wore overalls over her pink shirt. Cowboy boots on her feet.

"Good,"she scoffed. Rufus glared. "You don't need it. The doctor said yesterday you need to cut back on the whiskey. Or you'll suffer from liver failure."

"I don't give a damn about my liver,"Rufus growled. Jondy met his glare, green eyes alight with fury.

"Well, I do,"She seethed. "And if you're not going to take care of it than I will." Her eyes shot over to Syl and Zane. "Go collect the rest of the liquor." Syl nodded, racing off towards the living room.

"I shouldn't have taken you three with me yesterday,"He grunted, crossing his arms. He glared at Zane's retreating back. "This is mutiny!"

"Zane ignore him,"Jondy counteracted. "Get the booze and throw it away." She crossed her arms, glaring at her adoptive father.

"My home's been invaded by a bunch of spoiled white kids,"Rufus grumbled, dramatically. Jondy rolled her eyes as she picked up the broom to sweep up the broken glass that had missed the sink when she threw the bottle.

"Oh, get over yourself,"She huffed, tossing the glass into the trash. "You love us. You're just mad I'm saying no more to the alcohol."

"Why are you doing this?"Rufus grumbled. Whiskey was his escape. Liquor brought him peace in a messed up world. He had lost everything. His wife and child. His home and neighbors. The supernatural forced him to trade in his normal life for the life of a hunter. The liquor numbed the pain. The brown liquid that burned his esophagus brought him back to the past. Brought him back to his family when life was good and he could cradle his baby girl and kiss his wife. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Because I want you to live long enough to see us graduate,"Jondy muttered as she tidied up the kitchen. Her lips were set in a pout, annoyed by her intervention. She could hear the doors slamming as Zane and Syl followed her orders. She'd make sure her brother finished his homework before going back to his video-games. Chores needed to be done and food needed to be cooked. Rufus had gone into a depression yesterday when Doctor Carlson gave him the news. Lay off the liquor or your liver will fail. Jondy heard it clear as day and she wasn't even in the same room. In fact, she was in the waiting room. But what does she find later, Rufus drinking a bottle.

"Graduate, huh?"Rufus muttered. He was supposed to see his daughter graduate. See her walk down the isle with his eyes and her mother's face. He just wanted to be left alone. Left with his thoughts and memories. If only he had been home that day. If only he had known how to stop the werewolf that tore his family to shreds.

"Yeah, graduate,"Jondy quipped. "Like from high school or college or something." She placed her hands on her hips. She was almost eleven years old. Responsibility had been placed on her shoulders as she cared for Zane and Syl. She couldn't add Rufus to the list too. Her face softened when she noticed the man bury his face into his hands. She sensed the dark, sad energy from the older man. She didn't like it.

Life wasn't normally like this. Usually Rufus was involved. He was grumpy and stuff, but he definitely cared. He would help with their homework. Make sure the house was clean. Take them to school and back. Drive them to a friend's house. Take them on hunting trips. Or just buy them ice-cream and walk through the park nearby. He was sad, yes, but never depressed. She could smell salty tears. She put down the rag as she made her way over to the older man. She wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her cheek against his back.

"I'm sorry,"she muttered. Maybe, she was too harsh. She had a bad habit of having a sharp tongue. He had an alcohol problem and she knew it. She just didn't know how to go about ending it. "I just-"She bit her bottom lip. "I want you to live. I want you to see me grow-up. And I know alcohol will stop that from happening-" Rufus looked up.

"It's not you, sweetheart,"the gruff man muttered. "It's me. I have issues. Baggage."

"We all do,"Jondy sighed. She moved away from the older man, crossing her arms. "Do you wanna talk about it?"She pulled up a chair and sat, propping her elbows. Zane and Syl had returned to the kitchen finished with their alcohol search. Rufus knew they had successfully cleaned out the house. Goddamn them.

"Nah,"Rufus huffed, wiping at his eyes. He couldn't show his weakness in front of the kids. Yeah, they've been with him for about a year, but the kids didn't need this dysfunction. He'd just go to the local bar later, drink until he passes out and dreams of his wife and daughter. "Don't wanna burden you with my issues."He was getting old. His joints were creaking and it was harder to get out of bed.

"You can't burden family,"Jondy responded. She placed her young, smooth hand over his own old, wrinkled one. Silk against leather. "We're here for you." Rufus sighed, leaning back. Two more hands touched his own hand. His three white kids. The pain-in-the-asses that made his world exciting and kept him spry. Who forced him to eat his goddamn vegetables and cut back on the red meats, so that his arteries wouldn't clog. Who cared about his well being even when he didn't.

"The alcohol takes me back to them,"He started. He could already feel the tears prickling in his eyes, but the kids didn't judge. They never judged. They understood despair. Many nights, he had comforted them. Listened to their nightmares as they cried about their past. Now it was his turn. "I see them...my wife and daughter."

"What were their names?"Syl asked with an encouraging smile and a loving glance. She was his optimistic child. The one who found enthusiasm towards life, even when life wasn't that great. Who could look at a simple, broken flower and notice the beauty it once had. Appreciate the simple life that made this world beautiful. She promised him everything would be okay with a spark in her blue eyes. Syl would draw him pictures or make silly faces just to bring his spirit up when he was down. She always knew how to make him smile and laugh when his heart wanted to break.

He felt a third hand pat his own. He met Zane's calm whiskey colored orbs. His quiet child. The one who was the rock, the support, for this mixed-up, fiery family. Who didn't have to say much because his actions spoke louder than his words. He cared deeply. Most nights, Zane was the one to drag him home when Rufus stayed out too late at the bar. Zane would walk in, without judgment in his eyes, greet the bartender, and bring him home safely. He would tuck him into bed, leaving a glass of water on the side table. He never pitied, just understood.

"Natalie and Grace,"Rufus answered. He leaned back in his chair. Jondy handed him a glass of water. The cheeky girl. She wouldn't budge from her new no alcohol rule. "Grace was three. Boy, did she have the most beautiful smile. Just like her mother. Radiant and full of life." He dove into his story, telling the kids about his wife and daughter. Retelling old memories. The kids listened and laughed, accordingly. They hugged him when he broke down in tears as he told them about the attack. The monster that destroyed his perfect life. He cried and he laughed. He found he didn't need the liquor as the stories brought his wife and daughter to life. Stories he couldn't share before, but now he could with them. Stories that he had buried deep into his subconscious.

He felt lighter as he leaned against the chair. The three kids hugging him close. His new family. His new kids. Natalie and Grace would always have a special place in his heart. But, his heart had expanded to the three transgenic children that brought him back. Brought him out of his broken shell. Made him love again.

"No more alcohol?"Jondy inquired, hopefully. He kissed the top of her head, lovingly. His daughter. His little white daughter with the fiery temper and the big heart. The little white daughter who stood her grounds and enforced the changes. His daughter who was brutally honest and said what had to be said even when nobody wanted to hear it. When he didn't want to hear it. But she said it because she cared. She wanted to put the pieces back together of his shattered heart. He knew she could. They all could in their own way. His two little white daughters and white son. His two daughters and his son. Three kids who forced themselves into his heart and made him care again. Damn them...and bless them.

"No more alcohol,"he promised. Syl and Zane smiled, matching Jondy's pleased expression.

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed this quick one-shot. This is the first among a series of one-shots.**


	2. The Wonderful World of Cars

**Thank you for the reviews! I'm glad you loved the first one-shot. Enjoy!**

The Wonderful World of Cars

Seth loved cars. He loved everything about cars. The way the motor hummed as it cruised along the road. The black smoke that puffed behind the older cars as Bobby pressed down on the gas pedal. He loved the way Bobby's old car rattled and bumped, years of use and yet it still kept chugging along. He especially loved the stacks of cars, old and new, in the junkyard. Cars that have been discarded. Cars that have been dropped off by owners to be fixed because the engine wasn't working or the break was broken.

He sat, cross legged on the hood of an old,red mustang. The paint was peeling and the window was cracked. He loved this car the most. Most people saw it as junk, but Seth saw it as a survivor like himself. It had faced the odds of a crash and though it was disowned, it still found a home. He patted the mustang's hood, smiling to himself. He'd rebuild the old car from scratch. Fix it's engine, replace the gas, repaint it. The car had come to the right place because he cared. Seth cared. One day it would cruise the roads again with Seth behind the wheel. One day it would race faster than any car on the streets. Cruise longer than any race car on the tracks because Seth would show it love. He just needed to know where to start.

Kavi was tossing a baseball, catching it with his mitt. His dark eyes watched the ball, sharply, calculating each toss. He sported a baseball cap that supported the Sioux Falls Canaries, black curls splayed beneath the cap. He loved the team because Bobby loved the team. Kavi loved baseball because he was good at it. He was part of the little league and Coach Finstock adored him. Put him on a pedestal as team captain because Kavi had the fastest pitch ever seen on a little league team. That was no surprise, considering Kavi was an x5. Kavi had beaten the record for most home-runs and fastest pitch for kids which brought the Sioux Falls Little League team to State. But, his talent wasn't because of his x5 genes. No, he was just a natural at the game. His DNA donor was probably a baseball player which would explain the natural talent. He was passionate and worked hard towards his goals. Played with the town kids everyday and never missed practice. He wanted to go professional.

Brin was sitting on a barrel, absorbed in another book. She was a literature guru. A grammar Nazi. She loved words and the way they sounded. She was top in her class when it came to literature and writing essays. She won a poem competition for a haiku about autumn. She was proud. Bobby was very proud as he stood in the audience, cheering for his adopted daughter. Teachers applauded her perfect grammar and beautiful handwriting. She treasured every compliment, only working harder towards her goals of journalism.

Seth grinned as he watched his two siblings work towards their goals. They were keeping an ear open for Bobby, who was currently arguing with a customer. The dude was a douche and had asked Bobby to fix his car. They had agreed on a payment, but as soon as the car was fixed the guy lowered the price agreement. Bobby wouldn't have it. He had kids to feed, but the man wouldn't budge.

"We had an agreement,"Bobby growled, tugging on his cap. A sneer on his lips. "The gasket has been repaired and we agreed on a thousand."

"I don't believe that was our agreement,"the customer stated, stubbornly. Bobby had done a beautiful job fixing and replacing the gasket parts. Seth should know, he had helped. The man was taking advantage because Bobby was older and considered the town drunk which was hardly fair. The bastard. "I've seen better work down at Auto Repair."

"Then you should have gone there instead,"Bobby grumbled. He pointed to his junkyard. "But, you came here for a fair price. I gave you a damn fair price and now you're weaselin' out of payment. I won't stand for it!"

Seth rolled his eyes. Patting the mustang, he hopped off the car. Bobby had done a wonderful job. The car didn't leak coolant anymore. The oil wasn't milky white nor did it rattle. Bobby had fixed the valve too, noticing it was on it's last leg because Bobby was a good guy. A good guy who risked his life protecting this crummy town from the supernatural. And this was the thanks he got.

"Hey,"Seth shouted, stepping into the conversation. The sleaze bag glanced at him, unfazed by the kid who joined the conversation.

"What do you want kid?"The customer asked, condensation in his voice.

"I wanna know,"Seth stated. He wasn't going to get crap about his handiwork too. He worked hard on this car. He had helped Bobby remove and replace the gasket. He had tightened the valves and replaced the oil. Everything he had done should have costed far more than a thousand measly bucks. The price was beyond fair and the guy was just being a dick. "Is the coolant leaking?" He stared the man down, letting loose his feline DNA. After a moment, the guy turned his head.

"No,"the man answered. His eyes flashed annoyance.

"No?"Seth questioned. He tapped his chin. "Huh. I assume you noticed the engine doesn't overheat either. What about the oil, is it white?" The man shook his head.

"Then why the fuck are you complainin', Idjit,"Seth growled. Yeah, maybe he put a little bit too much Bobby in his voice. But, Bobby wasn't being Bobby. He wasn't fighting like he should be.

The man startled, not expecting the aggressive tone from the boy. Brin and Kavi were already coming forward to back up Seth. Book and ball discarded. They stood behind him, staring down the cheating customer like a pack of hungry lions. The dude was sweating.

"You should watch your tone kid,"the customer snapped. "I'm your elder and should be shown resp-"

"And yet you're being a dick,"Seth bit back, just as harshly. He didn't give a shit about elders or superiors or adults. Adults made his childhood hell and he'd be damned if he let another one walk all over him. "I don't respect dicks. Tell me-"He ignored Bobby telling him 'to go back inside'. "Why are you cheating my Dad out of his money?" Yeah, he used the Dad word, but he wanted to make this guy feel guilty. "The price was fair. We even did extra without payment request-" Because they were good people. Because they cared. And bad people always tried to screw good people over.

"You helped,"the man sneered. Seth glared.

"Yeah,"Seth quipped. "I'm the reason your engine doesn't jitter anymore. You're welcome." The man blanched, taken aback by the kid's tone. Yeah, he was good. A natural mechanic. The machines just spoke to him and he knew exactly how to fix the car. He was the car doctor. "You know the work we did would have costed three times as much-" He tapped his chin. "Let me give you an estimation. Let's see that would cost about 2500 to 3000 dollars if you went to Auto Repair or one of those fancy companies." Seth threw his arms in the air. "Well, shit that's about three times more than what Bobby offered. Add in the care and you received great service."

The man's face was bright red, unable to battle the boy verbally. "You were owned, sucker," Kavi stated, a predatory grin stretching his features.

"I believe you owe us one grand plus tax,"Seth stated, holding out his hand. "Don't expect free handouts. A family's gotta eat."

The man grumbled, face red, as he pulled a check book out his wallet. Writing out the total, he handed the check to Seth. Seth grasped the check as the man stomped over to his newly fixed car. He thrust the door open, before slamming it shut.

"Have a nice day!"Seth shouted, waving his hand cheerfully. The man flipped him off and Seth cackled, highfiving Kavi and Brin. The man started the engine, that didn't gurgle or leak anymore, before peeling out of Bobby's junkyard.

He turned his megawatt grin to Bobby, ignoring the grumpy face of the hunter. He knew Bobby was amused and pleased. He was just trying to hide the smile.

"I believe this is yours,"Seth stated, handing the check over to Bobby. Bobby stared at the check before eyes returned to Seth's.

"I thought I told you to go inside,"Bobby said. His lips quivered as he tried to hold back the smirk. Seth rolled his eyes.

"You did, but I don't listen very well,"Seth responded, running his hand through light brown hair.

"No, you don't,"Bobby agreed. The smile poked through the gruffness of his features.

"Besides, you needed backup,"Seth stated. He gestured to himself, Brin, and Kavi. "The guy would have refused to pay the agreed amount if we didn't show up."

"True,"Bobby replied. He took the check from Seth's hand, ruffling the boy's hair. "I should let you deal with customers more often."

"Really?"Seth inquired with a grin. Bobby coughed, nodding his head.

"Yeah,"Bobby said. "Just hold back on the cussin'. Could lose good business if ya lose your temper."

"Understood,"Seth responded with a salute. "In the future, I'll try my best not to give a verbal smack down to cheating customers." Seth grinned, crossing his arms. "Though it was hilarious...Did you see his face?"

Bobby chuckled, stroking his beard. "I did,"Bobby said. "Won't ever forget it." He ruffled the three kids hair before nodding his head towards the house. "Come on. We gotta get Kavi to his baseball game."

"Right,"Kavi shouted. He grabbed his mitt and ball, racing back to the house to grab his gear. Brin followed, grabbing her book. It was a library book that needed to be dropped off after Kavi's game.

Bobby slung his arm over Seth's shoulder. "Afterward,"Bobby said. "Why don't you and I fix up that Mustang of yours." Seth grinned, nodding his head.

"I'd like that,"he said. Already, he could imagine the smooth hum of the motor, the shiny silver hubcaps, and the clear, new glass when it was finished. His car would be beautiful.

"Good,"Bobby stated, patting the boy's shoulder. "I'll teach you to drive it later." Seth grinned. Yeah, life was great and he definitely wanted to grow up to be just like Bobby.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! More will be coming! I'm gonna try to get a few one-shots together for the Winchesters before I go back to school!**


	3. Mortal Kombat!

**Thanks for the reviews! Here's the next one-shot! Enjoy!**

Mortal Kombat

The theme music of Mortal Kombat filled the recreational room. Mole was sprawled out on the couch, his fingers gliding over the buttons as he fought his opponent. His tongue poked out of the side of his mouth as he slammed his thumb into the red button over and over again.

A tiny foot hit his cheek. He shoved it out of the way.

"Quit it, Alec,"Mole grumbled. In return, Alec grinned cheekily as he pressed his bare toe into Mole's cheek once more. The transhuman lost his concentration and Alec annihilated his game character. Alec threw a victorious fist into the air, hooting loudly as Mole shoved the little boy's foot away. "You cheated."

"Nah, I just made a tactical decision,"Alec responded. He stuck his feet into Mole's face, wiggling his toes. "What you don't like my feet, Lizard Breath?"

Mole shoved Alec's foot out of the way and the kid giggled. Mole scowled. It had been peaceful yesterday and then the Winchesters showed up, bringing along the ten-year-old terror who tormented Mole's life. Alec followed him around all day, every day, asking obscene questions and talking about absolutely nothing. Mole swore the kid just liked to hear his own voice.

"No, Princess,"Mole growled, wrinkling his lizard nose. "Doesn't Dean or Sam force you to bathe?"

"Occasionally,"Alec responded, again kicking Mole in the arm. Mole glared. Yeah, he was going to pound the kid. Mole figured Alec needed a beat down every few hours, just to remember his place. The kid loved to push buttons and he had figured out every button to push within the first day of meeting Mole. Now, Mole couldn't get rid of him.

"Do you wanna keep botherin' me,"Mole snapped as he restarted the game. "Or do you wanna play a second round?"Alec sat up, a competitive grin on his face.

"Prepare to be owned,"Alec said, choosing his character. Johnny Cage.

"Not this time,"Mole grumbled right back, matching Alec's grin. "Prepare to be destroyed." He wasn't playing fair this time. If the kid wanted to fight dirty than Mole would happily oblige.

"In your dreams, Scales," Alec quipped. Mole picked out Reptile this time. Alec cackled. "Fitting." Mole flipped him off and Alec responded by elbowing him. They turned the volume up, the music pounding their eardrums.

Alec was kneeling on the couch, bouncing to the music, as Johnny Cage flipped over Reptile, punching his opponent in the back. He was humming loudly to the music, knowing it would distract Mole from the fight. He would purposefully thump a foot against the lizard's thigh, matching the beat of the drums and base.

Mole had had enough. He licked his thumb as he used his other hand to throw a series of punches at Cage. He jammed his wet thumb into Alec's ears. Alec slammed his hand against his ear, giving a startled yelp as Mole used the moment of distraction to finish Cage off. He copied Alec's earlier move, by throwing a victorious fist in the air. The kitten was still rubbing his ear, face twisted in disgust.

"Ewww, lizard slobber,"Alec moaned. Mole punched Alec in the bicep.

"Serves you right, Kitty Cat"Mole stated, gleefully. "What? Can't handle payback?" He licked his thumb again, moving it closer to Alec's face. Alec slapped his hand away, rolling away from the hand. "Afraid you might catch something?"

"Yeah,"Alec retorted, wiping at his ear. "Who knows what type of weird bacteria is in your spit. I might keel over and die because of you."

"Are you makin' fun of my komodo dragon DNA?"Mole questioned. He was trying to look annoyed, he really was, but bantering with Alec was too much fun.

"Yeah,"Alec quipped. "Haven't you watched animal planet? Komodo dragons have some nasty spit. The spit is actually what kills their prey." Alec smirked. "I might die from infection because of you."

Mole rolled his eyes. "Sorry, I might have killed you with my venomous spit,"he, sarcastically, responded. A smirk curved his lips. "Not."

"You'd miss my beautiful and charming personality if I died,"Alec retorted. "The guilt would eat you alive."

"I highly doubt it,"Mole responded. In truth, he probably would miss Alec. It was hard to find someone to banter with and poke fun at. Alec just opened the gates and Mole took every opportunity to hassle him. He knew Alec loved it. He loved it too. These nonsense conversations made him feel like a normal teenager. And Alec was the little brother he wished he never had.

"Course you would,"Alec replied. He grinned, moving closer to Mole. "Nobody can resist my adorable qualities and face." Man, this kid had an ego. Mole wasn't surprised though, Dean had an ego the size of Texas too. To add emphasis to his damn adorable face, Alec fluttered his lashes at Mole. Mole sneered.

"You mean pounding it in, right?"Mole ribbed. "You're correct, I'm having a very hard time resisting."

Alec laughed loudly, the mock not lost on Mole. He slapped Mole's shoulder. Mole frowned. "Oh, Mole,"Alec drawled. "You're a crack up. Really, stand-up comedian quality." He gave two thumbs up, the arrogant smirk still there. "A celebrity in the making." That's it..."Umph." Alec found himself on the ground, tackled by Mole. Alec struggled in the teen's grip, before slamming his foot into Mole's face and sending the lizard back.

"Eat feet, Flickers," Alec shouted. Mole pounced again and the boys rolled across the ground, both trying to get the upper hand. Both with equal strength. Though Mole was slightly stronger, while Alec was faster. Teeth gritted as backs hit the couch and the game was forgotten about for now.

"Flickers?"Mole grumbled, questioning the weird name-calling.

"Yeah,"Alec grumbled, shoving Mole back. "Because your tongue flickers." Alec rolled over the couch, avoiding the pillow that was tossed at his head. Mole quirked a brow, grasping a second pillow. Alec rolled his eyes. "Lizard tongues flicker."Mole threw the pillow, hitting Alec in the face. The boy fell backwards. Mole jumped over the couch, standing over a sprawled Alec.

"Still making fun of others animal DNA I see, Pussy-Cat,"Mole quipped. Alec smirked, sitting.

"It brings me life,"Alec explained. "Makes me feel more important. Superior even."

"Course it does,"Mole scoffed. He pointed a finger at Alec. "That's the Cat DNA talking."

Alec wiggled his brows. "Yup,"Alec agreed. Mole smacked him with the pillow before Alec leapt forward, wrapping arms around his legs, and tackled him into the couch.

They continued their verbal smack-down as they poked, hit, and kicked each other. Mole rolled over, getting the upper-hand. He pinned Alec, gathering up a giant spit wad in his mouth.

Alec struggled, trying to avoid the dripping spit. "No, Mole," Alec cried out. "You might kill me!" Yeah, Mole could only hope. Alec's hand got out of his grip, slapping Mole's cheek. The spit plopped onto the boy's cheek. "Ewww,"Alec groaned, kicking Mole off. He wiped the spit off his cheek as Mole laughed at his pity party. "That's just nasty, dude."

"Serves you right, Kitten,"Mole quipped, rubbing his swelling cheek. Alec slapped hard. Mole could probably call that fight, a cat fight. Mole grinned as he repeated his joke. Alec facepalmed himself.

"Mole,"Alec groaned. "That was just lame even for you." Mole snorted, pushing Alec over and falling back into the couch.

"Most of your jokes are lame anyways,"Mole retorted, grabbing the controller.

"I object to that statement,"Alec responded. "I'm hilarious." Mole grunted, elbowing Alec. Alec made a grab for the second controller.

"Because Dean says you are?"Mole needled.

"Yup,"Alec stated, flickering through the character list. He was done playing Johnny Cage.

"Hate to break it to you, Fluffy,"Mole responded. Alec glared at the new nickname. Mole was definitely keeping that one. It would be used on special occasions. "But, you and Dean share the same lame sense of humor."

"Dad and I object,"Alec said. "Together we could be a two man show. A Saturday night comedy hit."

"Keep dreamin',"Mole muttered. Alec flicked him in the cheek. Mole batted his hand away before getting comfortable on the couch. "Ready for round three?" Or round four. Round three had been their little living room battle. Mole had definitely won that. Mole: Two, Alec...well, one if the first game counted. In Mole's mind, it didn't.

"Yup,"Alec replied, popping the 'p'. "Ready to be crushed into dust, Pea Brain?"

"Only if you are, Meow Mix." Mole hit the start button and the two boys once again were absorbed in their game. Their ultimate showdown.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed the fun banter. Review please! :D**


	4. Shopping

**Thanks for the wonderful reviews! Enjoy! All these stories are set at different times with not contingency.**

Shopping

She hated it when Alec was right. She really detested it, but sadly she couldn't help but agree with his opinion about the horrors of shopping. Especially when shopping involved watching her two sisters try on every outfit in the goddamn store.

Max was sitting beneath a rack of clothes, hands cradling her cheeks. Three hours, three ridiculously long hours with no food and no hope of ever escaping the bright fluorescent lights of the department store.

Yeah, Joann had taken her shopping in the past. Yeah, she didn't mind it then, but that was when the shopping time was on her own terms. She'd walk in grab a bloody pair of pants, try them on. If they fit, she would buy the pair and leave. But, Sammi wasn't the same. Sammi didn't care about a quick in and out trip. No Sammi, like Lucy, loved to ooh and aah over every outfit. Ogle ever skirt, try out every perfume sample that could make a transgenic gag and suffocate from the artificial scents.

Joann and Brian had given them leeway. They had left the girls in Macy's, so they could wander around the mall giving each other disgustingly syrupy sweet looks of endearment and claim there was no chemistry between them. Just friends. _Damn it, just admit your feelings some of us want to move on with our lives._ Yeah, she was cranky...maybe, even at times bitchy, but sometimes a girl just needed her way. And her way was not sitting under a rack of preteen clothes, watching her twin twirl and admire herself in the mirror.

"Oh, Sammi,"Lucy exclaimed, covering her mouth. "That skirt is just beautiful!" Sammi beamed, twirling back and forth in the blue, floral skirt. For now, her hair was shorter than Max's, bangs had grown out. She pulled back the hair with a pretty blue headband. Max couldn't figure out how her and Sammi were even sisters. Let alone identical twins. There must have been a genetic mix-up somewhere. How else did she get two girly ass sisters, one biological and the other adopted.

"Really,"Sammi stressed, biting her bottom lip. "I don't know about the frills." She lifted her leg, showing the lacy frills that decorated the edges. "Do you think it's a bit much?"

"Yes,"Max grumbled, burying her head into her arms. She needed to get to a damn food court and quick. If Alec was here, they would have blown this joint and done something crazy already. But, sadly Alec wasn't here to encourage mayhem and mischief, so she was stuck in this girly-ass section while her stomach grumbled in hunger. She really should have taken Joann's suggestion and ate lunch before coming here.

Sammi glared, rolling her eyes at her twin. "Quit being a grumpy cat, Max,"she snipped. Lucy nodded her agreement before skipping off to find more clothes. Max huffed. "What's your issue anyways?" She pouted her lips before a grin broke and she admired herself again. Max got it. She really did. Sammi never had pretty clothes before. She never got to choose outfits or twirl in a pretty skirt. Or felt like a princess. Manticore never allowed it. But, really, there was nothing more torturous than counting down the seconds, waiting for sweet freedom and a chili dog with extra chili. She knew the chili dog would be happening because Brian loved chili dogs. He had introduced Max and Sammi to the delicious snack when he took the three girls out to the local fair. Damn, that fair was fun. Max had won a goldfish, while Sammi won a giant, grotesquely pink unicorn. The twins had won Lucy a stuffed dog in the water gun race game.

"Nothing,"Max grumbled. "Just absolute boredom." She swore she was drooling. She had to be since her brain was blacking out. A girl could watch her sisters flaunt around in dresses for so long.

Sammi disappeared into the changing room before coming back out with the skirt slung over her arm.

"We could help you find an outfit,"Sammi suggested. "I saw some cute leather jackets over there." Max smirked. Sammi knew her style. What a great little sister. "Or a cool new beanie." A wicked grin curved her lips. "Why don't you try on that dress?" She pointed towards the pink monstrosity covered in glitter and frills. She was going to vomit. "Lucy-" Lucy approached the twins, holding a pile of clothes in her arms. "Wouldn't Max look pretty in that dress?"

Lucy matched Sammi's grin. "Most definitely,"Lucy agreed. "With a bit of lipstick, she'd look like a princess." Max gagged. She grabbed her throat as her body reacted, badly, to the suggestion.

"I'd rather take a power drill and remove my eyes,"Max deadpanned. Really, her alternative sounded far more pleasant than prancing around in a froufrou dress. She'd die of embarrassment if anyone caught her in it. Especially Alec. The transgenic would tease her until the end of time.

"You've got serious issues,"Sammi quipped. Max gave her thumbs up, enjoying the disgusted look on her twins face.

"You know I do,"Max agreed. Yeah, her humor was dark. Sometimes twisted. But, that was the fun part, disturbing her friends and family with horrific scenarios. Alec and her would play hours of 'Would You Rather' as they came up with the two most horrific options, forcing the other to choose their fate. Yeah, it was them. Even Benny seemed slightly disturbed by his brother's psychopathic scenarios. "Seriously though, when will this nightmare be over?"

Sammi rolled her eyes, pulling off the sweater. Lucy had tugged on a lacy shirt over her tank top and was, currently, flattening it out.

"Soon, drama queen,"Lucy quipped with a smirk. She pulled off the shirt, deciding she liked the design. Brian had given her money to buy clothes for the school year.

"Good,"Max grumbled. "Because the chili dogs are seriously calling my name." She could only imagine the spicy chili taste filling her mouth in warm deliciousness.

"yummm,"Sammi hummed. "Chili dogs." A shirt smacked Max in the face. "I think you'll like this...It's black."

"I don't like just black,"Max retorted, looking at the shirt. The shirt was actually pretty cute. Her size and style. Everything she looked for in clothes.

"Could have fooled me,"Sammi quipped. "Everything in your wardrobe is black with the exception of that one dress." Max shivered, remembering the green monstrosity. It was hidden in the depths of her closet. Never to be seen again. "Would it kill you to add some color to your style?"

"Probably,"Max responded with a shrug. Sammi giggled, grabbing a few jeans. She would be starting school in a few weeks. Her first time in the real world with normal people. Normal kids and no Manticore. She was beyond excited. Joann and Brian had decided not to enroll her and Max after the holidays. They had wanted to give the girls time to adjust and get used to life outside of Manticore. Yeah, she did homeschooling for a bit, but that was only a couple hours a day. The rest of the day had been spent, exploring the town or finding fun places to hike. If they weren't learning or exploring, they were talking to a therapist. A requirement set up by the hunters to help the kids understand the shit they had survived through.

Lucy had told her everything she needed to know about school. Always pack a lunch and whatever you do don't eat the cafeteria food. Always bring tennis shoes for PE. Be prepared with a pencil pouch and notebook. She was starting fourth grade at Sioux Falls Elementary. Lucy was a year older. She was starting fifth grade, so sadly they wouldn't be in the same class. But, Joann and Brian had pulled some strings to make sure she would be with Max, just for their first year. That had relieved some of the stress she was feeling. If she was with Max, she might not have a panic attack. Sometimes when a situation reminded Sam of Manticore, her heart would stop and she was like a deer caught in the headlights. Loud and brash adults sometimes caused that reaction.

"We should do something for the last weekend of summer,"Lucy suggested as she carried her pile of clothes to the register. She had finally caved in to Max's persistent begging and her twin was skipping gleefully because of her win.

"Like what?"Sammi asked. She noticed the cherry lip gloss in one of the bins that boxed in the line. She loved the taste of cherries, so she grabbed it tossing the gloss on her clothes pile. "We could teach you how to shoot guns."

"No, guns,"Max quipped, sniffing at a sample perfume bottle. Sammi sighed. She had forgotten about Max's huge aversion to guns. Max blanched every time she saw the shape of a gun.

"I don't think Mom would like that,"Lucy sighed. "Mom thinks guns are dangerous."

"Not if you handle them correctly,"Sammi answered. The line moved forward and Max was already growing bored again with the slow pace. All she wanted was a chili dog. She tugged at her beanie, leaning against a bin. "But, I guess you're right." Brian had talked about taking the girls hunting, teaching them the hunter trade, but Joann had strongly disagreed. Said they were too young. But, Max wanted to hunt. Alec and Ben had told her how much fun hunting was, especially when it was a ghost. She really wanted to try it and so did Sammi, but Lucy didn't have the skill sets yet to be a hunter. That's why Sammi brought up guns.

"We could camp,"Lucy said. The twins shook their heads. Camping was hell. They had camped before at Manticore, though it was more survival training. They were in subzero weather with nothing but a survival pack. It was a nightmare.

"Definitely not,"Sammi grumbled.

"No,"Max said at the same time.

"Why not?" They moved forward, Sammi making her way to the cashier.

"Because camping is horrible,"Max responded. Memories of survival training blurred through her mind. Yeah, camping was definitely a no go.

"But, it's fun,"Lucy attempted to convince. She hadn't been camping in a long time. She did it once with a friend's family and it was the greatest experience she ever had. "You make s'mores, grill hot dogs, swim in the lake, and build a gigantic bonfire and tell scary ghost stories."

"That's not our experience,"Max grumbled. "Try subzero weather with nothing but a combat knife." Lucy shivered, finally understanding the twins distaste towards camping. They went over to the cashier, buying their clothes. They met up with Sammi, who was applying the cherry lip gloss to her lips. She smacked her lips, enjoying the taste.

"I think you should try it,"Lucy repeated as the girls left the store. "I think you'd like the experience if you tried it."

"I want a chili dog,"Max stated, interrupting Lucy. Sammi rolled her eyes as her twin sped up her pace.

"We all know that, Max,"Sammi quipped. Max moved around the corner. A girl on a mission. Sammi sighed, glancing at Lucy. "Fine, I guess we'll try it if you're convinced we'll like it." Lucy squealed, hugging her adopted sister.

"I know you'll like it,"Lucy said. "It's nothing like Manticore, I promise."

"If you're sure,"Sammi sighed.

"I'm sure,"Lucy assured. They were meeting Joann and Brian at the food court. Lucy had texted her mother. They had finished shopping for Lucy's birthday and were ready for lunch. Sammi still needed to think of a present. "It's really fun." All Lucy needed to do was convince her mother and Brian.

"Girls,"Max called, waving her hand towards her sisters. "Chili dogs!" Sammi rolled her eyes, mouthing 'chili dogs' and Lucy grinned. They sped forward, meeting up with Max.


	5. I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here

**Here's the next short. First one with visting Uncle Richie, definitely not the last. This is more about Gem. ;)**

I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here

"I can't believe you live here,"Ben awed, staring at the tall ceiling. He was spinning in circles, taking in the décor. Alec had run ahead, searching every drawer, room, and closet he could find. Alec could never satisfy the curiosity of his feline DNA.

"Me neither,"Gem agreed. She was giving Ben and Alec a tour, while their Dad and Uncle talked to Richard. It was their first time visiting and Alec had been awestruck by the magnificence of the old mansion. She knew Richard was showing off his hunting collection, knowing that Dean loved hunting and was always looking for new tools to perfect his craft. With Richard being part of the oldest hunting family around, his collection was massive. Really, really impressive. "It's like a fairy-tale."

Joey and Tina had disappeared into a room. Gem had explained to the twins that the x6s had tennis practice. She had been one of the few willing to separate from her unit. She hadn't been fond of the kids and never built a bond like Ben did with his unit.

"I never have to pick up anything,"Gem continued. She was wearing a pretty blue dress. All of her clothes were high fashion. She could have anything she wanted. Literally. "If I drop something, someone is there to pick it up."

"Really?!"Alec exclaimed. Ben squinted. He knew his brother had found trouble based on the messiness of his hair and the ruffle to his jacket. Ben just wasn't going to ask. His brother pulled out Joe. The little action figure had been tucked away in his jacket. He looked both ways before dropping his toy. He reached down to pick up the doll, but a hand got to it first.

"There you go, Master Alec,"the butler stated. His hands were behind his back quickly after the handover. Alec was pleased. Ben rolled his eyes. "Would you like anything else since I'm here?"

"A milkshake would be awesome," Alec stated. Alec followed the strict code of milk it.

"I'll let the chef know." The butler butled off. Alec grinned, green eyes sparkling as he faced his brother and Gem.

"That was awesome,"Alec whispered. Glee on his face. He looked at Joe, nodding his head in satisfaction. "I think I'm gonna like it here."

"We're only visiting Alec,"Ben reminded. Sam and Dean agreed to meet with Richard. The older hunter slash multimillionaire, close to billionaire, had wanted to catch up. Learn what the brothers had been up too.

"Maybe you are,"Alec responded. "But, I bet dear Uncle Richie has enough rooms for an extra kid."

"You're such a moocher,"Ben sighed. He knew his brother couldn't bear the thought of being separated from Dad and Uncle Sam, but Alec also liked the idea of being waited upon.

"I'm opportunistic,"Alec answered, pocketing his hands. "When you're allowed to ride bikes through a house, I call that a deal breaker." Gem giggled as she summoned the boys forward. Alec chattered about everything he had found. From indoor gyms and pools to gigantic gardens and fancy ballrooms. Ben knew his brother was smitten with the idea of moving in.

"The only thing that would make this place better," Alec continued. "Would be a roller-coaster in the backyard."

"We have that,"Gem stated. Ben didn't think Alec's grin could get any bigger. But, he was wrong. His brother's face was about to crack from pure ecstasy.

"Really?" Alec stressed. Yeah, he was definitely moving in. Look out Gem, you might have a new brother pretty soon.

"No,"Gem deadpanned. Alec's face fell.

"That was cruel,"he sighed. He sniffed, walking ahead ignoring his brother and Gem's laughter.

"He'll get over it," Ben teased. Gem shook her head at Alec's drama. But, the moment, an electronic toy plane flew past him. Alec was distracted once more. He ran off to find more gadgets. "See, told ya." Gem giggled. "I bet you love it here." Ben couldn't imagine hating a place that had so many rooms to explore.

"This place is fun, I guess," Gem stated. She loved it here. She really did. She loved Daddy Richard. She had started calling him that after watching Annie and seeing her own comparison. She was the Annie of the transgenics. The one that was chosen to live in this magnificent place. She could learn whatever she wanted. Do whatever she pleased. Richard would take her, Tina, and Joey anywhere. She loved it. But, Manticore memories still got in the way.

Sometimes, she didn't feel like she deserved this treatment. That she wasn't worthy of the love and adoration that Richard and his staff showed her. The attention scared her sometimes. She was used to negative attention, not positive. Maybe, she felt like she wasn't worthy of a family. She did some horrible things back at Manticore. She couldn't help but consider bad karma in the future.

"I guess?"Ben questioned. Gem shrugged, playing with the sash around her midsection. "What do you mean? This place is perfect." Even Ben thought this place was amazing. He just enjoyed mocking Alec and his enthusiasm more.

"It's just,"Gem sighed, biting her lips. "I'm not used to it. I'm not use to this treatment...Back at Manticore-" Ben blanched. He didn't want to talk about Manticore. Manticore was the past. A horrible past, but the past. Everything they did to him, he had buried. He no longer thought about the Blue Lady because the Lady had been a figment of his imagination. A coping mechanism that had helped him survive. He accepted that now.

"Let's not talk about Manticore,"Ben grumbled. He had his Dad and Uncle now. He had Alec and Bobby and Jo and Ellen. The list could go on with how many people were in his life that loved and cared about him. His life was perfect. Maybe not fancy like Gem's, but perfect. Magnificent even. He wouldn't trade it in for anything.

"Sorry,"Gem answered. She pulled at her fingers, shoes tapping against the smooth marble floor. At least it looked marble, maybe it wasn't. Ben couldn't tell. "It's just...I don't feel like I deserve this." She waved her hand, gesturing to the beautiful home, the staff, the loving adopted father. "Any of this. I did bad things...and I feel like-" Ben grabbed Gem's hand, shaking his head.

"We all did,"he responded. Gem lowered her eyes, biting her lips. "But that wasn't us. We were surviving-"

"But,"Gem tried to protest. Her eyes darkened, remembering how her knife slit through prisoners' throats. How she fought with her unit for dominance. How she shot a man in cold blood because Lydecker told her too. The guilt gnawed away at her. And the more love she received, the more her guilt festered.

"That wasn't us,"Ben repeated. "That isn't who we are." Gem shook her head. It was harder for her to believe those words. "If anyone deserves this life, it's you." Gem nodded, finding the design of the floor far more fascinating.

"I guess,"Gem mumbled.

"I know so," Ben replied. Gem smiled, wiping away a tear. She wasn't going to cry again. Ben was right. Richard had told her the same thing. So did Alfred their butler and the rest of the staff. They still saw her as innocent. She didn't see herself that way.

"Seriously, you've got a soda machine?!" Alec had approached the two, immediately breaking the moment. He was slurping on a chocolate milkshake, a grin on his face. Alec always had perfect timing. "Did I interrupt something?"

Ben shook his head. "No," he said. Gem copied. Alec gave them a suspicious look before shaking his head.

"Huh," Alec considered. He took a long slurp of his milkshake, pressing his straw into the thick ice-cream. "Best milkshake ever."

"You're gonna get sick,"Ben stated, pointing his finger at the shake. Alec already had a ton of sweets before the shake. In fact, every time Ben spotted Alec, food was in his brother's mouth.

"I'm hoping for an epic sugar rush,"Alec quipped, tapping a finger against a glass vase. It wobbled and Alec yanked his finger back quickly, making sure no one noticed the close call.

"Dad and Uncle Sam will love that,"Ben deadpanned. He liked sugar, but he wasn't obsessed like Alec was. Alec could probably rival Gabriel with the sugar intake.

"I know they will,"Alec replied. He finished off the milkshake with a satisfied sigh. Ben highly doubted it. "Dad, Uncle Sam, and Richard are done. Richard wants to show us the geek cave before we head out."

"You're not sticking around?"Gem teased. Alec shrugged.

"Nah, my precious brother would miss me too much." He went to pinch Ben's cheeks, but Ben shoved him away getting into a defense stance. Alec cackled like the lunatic he was before racing off calling for Uncle Richard. He had spotted the older man down the hall, talking with his parental figures.

"He doesn't need more sugar,"Gem muttered. Ben laughed, shaking his head in agreement.

"No,"he agreed. "He really doesn't."

Alec was talking a mile a minutes, bouncing around Richard like a cat straight from Hell. Ben was impressed the older man could keep up with Alec's rapid firing of questions. He rolled his eyes when Alec raced ahead, baying the three adults forward. He nudged Gem and the x5 smiled.

"You're gonna like it here,"he promised. Gem smiled, biting her lips.

"I know I will,"Gem said. She knew she'd be happy. Maybe, now she was confused and guilty, but those feelings would become the past. Soon, she would fit. Soon, she would feel like she deserved it all. Maybe not now, but soon.

"You will." They followed Alec and the others into the geek cave, watching as Alec and Dean bounced around enthralled by the merchandise and piles of comics.


	6. Sisters

**Thanks for the reviews! Here's a third one-shot!**

Sisters

"They're everywhere!"Biggs shouted, falling flat into the blue quilt on his bed. Alec and Ben glanced up as Biggs groaned loudly. They could hear the squealing of Biggs's four sisters as they raced through the house, one transgenic and three ordinaries. Mandy had been adopted along with Biggs because the two had been close at Manticore. Mandy had been in Alec's unit too. Mandy and Biggs had been inseparable and considered each other siblings during their Manticore days. They were the only pair in Alec's unit who had any real familial connection.

"Who's everywhere?"Ben asked, handling one of the plastic dinosaurs with care. They were spending the day at the O'Connells, while Uncle Sam and their Dad hunted trolls in the forest with Dan O'Connell. Alec didn't even know trolls existed until his Dad got the call and a request for help yesterday.

"Girls,"Biggs cried, throwing his hands in the air. He was frazzled, teeth gritted. "They're everywhere! Always singing that stupid song!" He grabbed Ben's jacket lapel, pulling him close, eyes wide with insanity. "They are driving me crazy!" He was the only boy in a swarm of girls. Not a single boy in the mix. Zip. Nada. Zilch. And Laurie was pregnant again with another girl. Another little girl to drive him mad and sing stupid songs and steal his games and run around the house, arguing about absolutely nothing. He pushed Ben away, burying his head into his pillow and screamed, just as the second round of 'I Know A Song That Gets On Everybody's Nerves' started.

"I don't envy you,"Alec stated, dumping out the legos. Biggs had a ton of legos. Alec definitely didn't envy his best friend. He was just happy he had a brother and no little sisters at all. From spending a few hours at the O'Connell house, he was even more happy it was just him, Ben, his dad, and uncle.

Biggs lifted his head, giving a pained look. He smelled the cookies downstairs that Laurie was cooking, but he was far too afraid to unlock his door and chance the hoard of females that would flock around him the moment he opened it. Yeah, he was dramatic but for months this was his life. "I don't know what to do."

He didn't know the proper etiquette of dealing with annoying sisters. Sisters that would tackle him and hang off his arms. Who would prank him or ask to paint his face in girly-ass make-up. He tried to behave. He just didn't want to lose his home because he lost his temper. It was different back at Manticore. He had other boys around in his unit and the girls, then, weren't as obnoxious. It's like they fed off each other.

"I'd suggest payback,"Alec stated, losing interest in the legos and flipping through a comic-book.

He knew there was a reason that he was adopted by this family. Dan needed another guy around. A son. He had taken the chance when Bobby called him about adoption. His life wasn't all bad. He loved having parents. His new mom would cook him meals and give him kisses. Read him books or watch a movie with him. Having a father figure was awesome and it was obvious Dan loved having a boy around. He'd take him shooting or fishing. Have him help down at the quarry where Dan worked when he wasn't hunting. He'd help garden the small farm they had. The best thing though, he had plenty of room to run. Acres of Colorado land to explore.

"Payback?"Biggs questioned. "I can't hurt them." Payback in Manticore, meant a full out fight. He couldn't hurt his sisters. They were annoying yeah, but he still liked them...a bit.

"Who said anything about hurting them,"Alec answered. Ben smacked his face, recognizing the grin. This wouldn't end pretty. This would end in utter mayhem. "I'm talking about pranks. I'm talking about giving them a taste of their own medicine."

"Alec,"Ben stated. "This is a terrible idea." Alec chose to ignore his twin's cynicism.

"They outnumber me,"Biggs pointed out.

"So,"Alec drawled, jumping on the bed next to Biggs. Biggs curled underneath the blue and brown quilt. Alec proceeded to poke him, until Biggs kicked back.

"So,"Biggs copied. "You may be able leave, but I'll be stuck here...forever."

"When did you become such a wuss?"Alec quipped. Biggs glared, though he agreed with Alec a bit. When did he become a fraidy cat. They were just a bunch of girls.

"I'm not a wuss," Biggs growled. Ben and Alec glanced at each other, raising their brows. "I'm not." He insisted. He made a decision."What's your plan Alec?" Alec grinned. His eyes darted towards the hamper full of dirty laundry in the corner. He wiggled his eyebrows.

"That's a terrible prank idea, Alec,"Ben deadpanned. Alec rolled his eyes.

"It doesn't have to be good,"Alec responded. "Just disgusting."

"Thanks,"Biggs drawled. The hallway had gone quiet. No doubt the girls had given up getting into his room. Mandy wouldn't kick open the door because she wouldn't want to break anything. They were still new to the family life and still tread carefully, even though Dan and Laurie constantly reassured them that they were here to stay.

"What?"Alec questioned, making his way over to the dirty laundry pile. "Dirty boxers are disgusting." It was a fact and if they wanted to give the perfect, most disgusting attack, dirty boxers had to be involved. "Do you have any water balloons? Squirt guns possibly?"

"This is going to end badly,"Ben repeated. But, Biggs jumped up, grabbing his super-soaker.

Alec nodded, impressed. "This will do."

"What's the plan?"Biggs asked. Alec was always the man with the plan. Even back at Manticore. Alec grinned.

* * *

"I still think this is a bad idea,"Ben muttered as they crept out of the bedroom. Laurie was probably wondering where they had been hiding, since they never came down for cookies. And Biggs loved cookies. Alec and Biggs were carrying the hamper of clothes. Nerf guns slung over their shoulders and determination on their faces. Ben walked a little slower, already listing everything that could go wrong with this attack. They could get in trouble for soaking the house. They could never be invited back again. The girls could have a second ambush planned. Mandy was most likely the ring-leader of these lunatic females which meant she'd have a retaliation plan.

"No, it's a great idea," Alec whispered. "When are my ideas ever bad?"

"All the time,"Ben quipped. Biggs shushed them. They could hear Laurie downstairs, preparing lunch.

"We want this to work don't we?" Biggs asked. He waved his hand forward and the boys tiptoed down the hall. "They're in Mandy's and Lexi's room." They were probably playing house or cutting the hair off of Barbies. Mel and Heather were inspired future hairstylist. He could hear them talking. Mel was probably sitting in Mandy's lap, while the transgenic played with the toddler's strawberry blond curls. He could hear Heather telling a story, hazel eyes most likely alight with excitement as Lexi played along with the imaginary story.

Alec raised three fingers. He counted down, smiling in anticipation like a fox about to disrupt the peace of a chicken coop. Biggs was ready. Two fingers were up. Alec touched the doorknob. One finger. Biggs grinned. He missed his best friend. Zero. They thrust open the door.

"Smell dirty laundry!" Alec shouted as Biggs and him dumped the laundry all over the girls' heads. The screams were shrill. Eardrum bursting as they jumped to their feet, peeling off the dirty shirts and boxers. Biggs was laughing hysterically as they screamed his name and threatened bodily harm. They lurched forward.

"Run!" Biggs shouted. He slammed the door shut, running down the hall towards the stairs. Alec fired nerf bullets the moment the girls ran out of the bedroom, crazed revenge in their eyes. They screamed louder like a room full of Irish banshees as they glided down the hall after the boys. Ben used the super-soaker and the girls hands shot up, protecting their faces. The hysteria had grown louder and Laurie was shouting from downstairs, wondering what the hell was going on.

They ran, skipping two to three steps at a time. They were being hunted by a pack of angry females. Alec was cackling with delight. He never could pass up mayhem. They ran into the kitchen, grabbing a few cookies before racing out of the kitchen.

"What's going on?!"Laurie called. She had heard the mayhem, but just accepted the new chaos as her life. Adding a boy into the mix of four girls really stirred up the chaos.

"Running for our lives!" Biggs answered, opening the screen door and jumping off the porch. Alec and Ben were right behind him.

"Good cookies,"Alec appreciated, shoving the snack into his mouth.

"Be careful!" Laurie called as the boys disappeared outside, nothing but blurs with toy guns slung over their shoulders. Seconds later her hoard of daughters ran through the kitchen, ropes and nerf guns in their hands. They were a fierce sight to see with their wet ponytails and colorful shirts. Lexi had a feather boa wrapped around her neck. A floppy hat, covering her reddish-brown curls.

"We're out for blood,"Mandy cried, blue eyes alight. The other girls cheered, hooting and hollering. "They cannot escape us!"

"No, they can't,"Lexi agreed, tugging on the jump rope in her hands. Laurie didn't even want to know what plans Lexi had with the jump rope.

"Not after throwing Biggs's stinky underwear at us!"Heather cried in outrage. Her light brown pigtails flopped as she shook her furious fist in the air.

"Gross,"Mel huffed. Her curls were drenched from the water squirted by Ben's gun. She was delighted by the chase. Ready to take on her brother and his two friends.

"They have declared war,"Mandy hollered. "You hear that Biggs! You're going down!" The girls chanted, 'war' as they raced out of the house after the three boys who were long gone.

Once the children were outside, Laurie broke down in laughter. Her life was never dull, thanks to her children. They were a fiery, vivacious group, Irish through and through. Biggs and Mandy just added to the delightful mayhem of their growing family. She cradled her tummy, smiling at the new baby growing within.

"You're gonna have quite the life, sweetheart,"she promised as she watched the girls chase the boys around the yard and house with their improvised weapons. The boys were screaming, having discarded the water gun and gone for the hose to spray the gaggle of sisters with. Biggs had the biggest smile on his face as he soaked his sisters.


	7. Happy Birthday

**Hi everyone! This is a one-shot request from Dark-Supernatural-Angel. Enjoy!**

Happy Birthday!

"Happy Birthday to you," The room sang. Alec and Ben stood in front of the cakes. Large smiles on their faces. They were at The large boarding house outside of Sioux Falls. They had returned to South Dakota for the week to celebrate their birthday. After the battle against Manticore, Dean had found their files that Irv recovered. He had searched a couple days, determined to find the date of their birth. On the second day, Dean had found their files, and a grin had stretched across his face. "Happy Birthday to you!"

March 1st. They were born March 1, 2000 and were turning ten today on March 1st, 2010. Ben was the oldest by eight minutes, followed closely by Alec. Their surrogate mother was a woman named Rebecca Dawson. She had disappeared the moment she was paid for her service. "Happy Birthday dear Alec and Ben!"

Those details didn't matter though. Alec's eyes shot around the room at the new people in his life. Dean and Sam stood proudly near him and his brother. Ellen kept taking pictures, storing the memories of the twins' birthday. Two cakes were in front of them. One with chocolate frosting. The other with vanilla. Ben preferred vanilla.

The transhumans stood around them, large grins on their faces as they celebrated the twins first birthday party. Joshua had his Birthday on January 14. The teen had been ecstatic as he received presents from everyone. An abundant of art supplies now filled his room, only encouraging the transhuman to follow his passion for art more.

Richard was there with Gem, Tina, and Joey. They had flown down from New York to spend the happy day with the twins. Jody stood next to Mole, taking more pictures. Cece kept asking about her birthday which was coming in a month. She wanted a ninja theme party.

"Happy Birthday to you!" Rufus and his brood was there. His arms slung over his three kids while Syl bounced excitedly on her toes. Bobby was there, looking like a proud grandfather. He looked the same way on Dean's birthday too. Irv had brought Krit and Zack all the way from Idaho. Biggs's arm was slung over Alec's shoulder as his best friend grinned at him. His hoard of sisters surrounded the counter, anticipating the cake cutting.

The room broke out in cheers as the song finished. Alec and Ben blew out the ten candles. They were hugged by their father and uncle. Ellen snapped another photo. The kids were swarming the cakes like a group of hungry locusts as Jo shooed them away, so she could cut the cake. The hunters had created four large cakes to feed the room of people. Mel and Heather were already pointing at the slices they wanted as cake was dished out and ice-cream served.

The previous week, the twins had received a copious amount of birthday cards throughout the hunter community. Some had money. Some had best wishes. Most of them were handwritten by their people. Alec and Ben had never felt so special in their lives. They had never felt this important. In the living room, the twins had spotted the large stack of presents. Presents that would be taken back to Bobby and stored in their attic bedroom until their Dad decided on a more permanent residence. The attic had been remodeled to give the twins a bedroom since Seth and Kavi took their old bedroom.

"Happy birthday,"Dean stated, a grin on his face. The skin around his eyes crinkled, expressing the pure happiness he felt. He pulled the boys close, planting a kiss on both heads. "Ten." Dean sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Double digits now."

"Yup,"Alec piped up, grinning. "Three more years and we'll be thirteen." He noticed his father's grimace and laughed. He knew his Dad was dreading the teen years.

"Don't grow up too fast,"Sam said, ruffling the twins' hair.

"We'll try,"Ben said. Ben didn't want to grow up fast either. He wanted years of being a kid. Excuses to get piggyback rides and have grand adventures.

Alec felt a tough punch to his shoulder. "Happy Birthday, Smart-aleck,"Max said. "Don't do anything stupid." Alec grimaced, rubbing his bicep.

"Only with you Max,"Alec promised. Max couldn't hide the smile, so she turned away, clomping Ben in a giant hug. If Alec was to do anything crazy, he'd probably choose Max to do it with. Max always had his back.

"Happy Birthday!"Sammi chirped. She gave him a sweet hug, unlike her bossy, tough as nails twin. She planted a feathery kiss on his cheek. Alec smiled, noting the girl was in a pretty dress and boots. Sammi had style and cherished her new look. A second hug was followed by Lucy before Joann planted a kiss on his cheek and Brian ruffled his hair.

"Look at you, my boy,"Richard exclaimed, pulling Alec close in a grandfatherly hug. "Already growing taller."

"Thanks, Uncle Richie," he said. He had started calling Richard that after their visit to New York.

"You'll have to come visit me soon,"Richard stated, ruffling the boy's hair. "I've got a new shipment of Batman merchandise." Alec brightened, hugging Richard.

"I'd like that." Richard grinned, patting Alec on the back as he went to congratulate Ben. Bobby had made them a giant breakfast of their choice this morning. His Dad and Uncle had helped. Dean had bought a ton of donuts.

"Happy Birthday, Medium Fella!" He was lifted off the ground and spun in circles. Joshua's big dog face pressed into his cheek. Joshua had dubbed him medium fella, while Max was little fella. He patted Joshua's arm.

"Thanks, Big fella!" Joshua beamed, hugging harder. Sometimes Joshua didn't realize his strength. The teen was a giant puppy most times.

"Ay, Joshy, don't kill the kid,"Mole quipped, patting the teen's shoulder. A sly grin curled his lips. "Leave that to me." Alec rolled his eyes before he found himself in a headlock with Mole noogying him mercilessly.

"Mole,"Alec shouted, fighting from the hold. He spotted Ben and his unit together as they ate cake and laughed. And here he was getting harassed by a giant lizard. "Get off me, Dino Breath." He shoved Mole, who laughed, before tackling the teen lizard. They rolled around for a bit, trying to gain the upper hand, before both paused deciding cake was the answer. Mole shoved him and Alec shoved back.

The moment Alec stood up, he was tackled from behind by Biggs. He fought his friend for a while, before he slung an arm around Biggsy's neck.

"Man, I've missed you,"the tan boy stated. A grin stretched across his face. Alec couldn't agree more. He missed his best friend. "This summer we've gotta rule the world." In Biggs's mind ruling the world meant getting wasted on ice-cream, climbing trees, and swimming in the lake near his house. It sounded awesome. He knew his Dad would be taking him back to Colorado to spend time with his best friend soon.

"Definitely,"Alec agreed. He leaned forward, whispering in Biggs's ear. "We've gotta scout out that haunted house." There was a creepy house a couple miles from Biggs's home. It looked creepy. A perfect place for an epic ghost hunt. Him, Ben, and Biggs had come up with a ghost hunting plan. A plan they didn't include their parents in. Biggs grinned, eyes searching the area as he made sure that no one heard him.

"Yeah,"Biggs agreed. "I've got the gear. Do you think her body was buried on the property?" Alec shrugged. He didn't know why his Dad and Uncle hadn't investigated this house yet, but Alec would with his best friend.

"Maybe,"Alec answered. They grabbed their cake, munching happily. Alec couldn't wait for the summer. He grinned, watching the large group of transhumans talk to various hunters. He spotted Mole's incredibly serious face as Irv talked about hunting wendigos and how to kill them. Mole had taken to hunting. Jo had brouht a few of the kids, who had shown interest, on local hunts. Mole was among them. The lizard had grown incredibly passionate as he collected artifacts and weapons. He was becoming the Bobby of the transhuman clan.

Alec couldn't wipe the smile from his face. He was excited for presents and really hoped for that new bike. He knew his Dad got him a bike. Dean had been acting suspicious as he tried to keep the present a surprise. No one could fool a transgenic. He'd still be incredibly excited though. But, the greatest present he had ever received were the people in this room. The people who saved him and became his family. He glanced over at Ben, noting the same smile. He knew Ben agreed too.


	8. Monster Hunt

**Hi everyone! Thanks for all the reviews! I've had a request to do more one-shots about Ben, so that's what I'm going to do. Thank you Kate for your imput. It's very easy to focus more on Alec. So far a lot of these stories have been about the twins. I'm going to try and mix it up a bit with other transgenics too. I apologize for any grammatical errors. I do not have a beta reader.**

Monster Hunt

When Alec had whispered 'monster hunt' into his ear the night before arriving in Manitou Springs, Colorado, Ben had known it was a bad idea. He knew about Biggs and Alec's careful planning to spend the night at an abandoned house, two miles away from Biggs's home. An opportunity to go on their first ghost hunt, solo style. No parents involved. He had heard about it during their tenth birthday and just because he happened to be Alec's twin brother, he was getting dragged along. Partially, against his will.

"You've got mad skills,"Alec had said. "We need your talent with an iron rod."He was feeling less and less confident as the sporadic planning came together. Biggs and Alec weren't known for their good plans. Part of the reason why Ben felt obligated to join his lunatic of a twin and his best friend side-kick from Manticore on this wild adventure.

They were convinced a ghost was haunting this rickety old house, wailing up and down the hallways. No one had ever seen a ghost. No stories circulated the home besides two boys' wild imagination. His Dad and Uncle didn't even find the place important enough to search for wayward spirits. So, Ben wasn't too worried about running into a vengeful spirit. The only inconvenience was Alec and Biggs dragging him away from the warmth of his sleeping bag on Biggs's bedroom floor.

He followed his brother and friend out the second floor window, landing softly on his feet into soft grass. A warm, midnight summer breeze tugged at his hair. It was the last week of July. Too bad they didn't take into account the full moon in the sky. Or the clouds that drifted in front of it, giving the night sky an eerie, ethereal appearance. He should have listened to his original gut feeling. His gut feeling was always right.

They knelt behind a bush in the O'Connell's backyard. Alec and Biggs unloading the backpacks with the goods they had collected.

"I got Dan's EMF detector,"Biggs stated, proudly. "Snagged it right off his desk." His brows furrowed as his fingers pressed buttons. "I don't know how to use it though." Unlike the Winchesters, the O'Connell's weren't in a hurry to get their kids started in hunting. It was partially based on their permanent residence in Colorado. There wasn't any need to train the kids right away.

"Don't worry, Biggsy,"Alec replied. Ben winced when Alec slapped the palm of his hand against his back. "Ben's got mad skills with EMFs." Ben would really like to know where he had developed these mad skills. Handling an EMF or swinging an iron rod didn't require a genius level IQ. In fact, anyone could do it and he had a bad feeling that Alec was setting him up for the grunt work. Great.

"Really?"Biggs asked. Ben shrugged.

"Dad showed _us_ -" he stretched the us, making sure Alec knew he wasn't going to be the only one fighting off the 'ghost'. Alec just gave a Cheshire-cat grin."how to use one. It's not difficult. We can give you a quick lesson." Biggs nodded while Ben explained the different frequencies and how to turn it on. It was nice teaching a fellow transgenic, they learned quickly.

"I grabbed salt,"Alec stated, while Ben explained the EMF. "But, I couldn't get a hold of Dad's sawed off shotgun." That was a good thing in Ben's opinion. He didn't feel like getting shot by salt rounds if something spooked his brother or his friend. It also might alleviate the punishment when they were caught. Ben knew they'd be found out. It just depended on how long it would take. He watched Alec pull out a couple of lighters and lighter fluid. One thing his Dad had taught him, always have extra lighters.

Alec packed everything back up once the goods were shown and the three boys stood up, backpack slung over their shoulders, ready for a two mile jaunt to the abandoned cesspool of Manitou Springs. They were more likely to find druggies or a teen rave than they were to discover ghosts. If that was the case, it might be fun scaring the shit out of some high idiots. Ben grinned, knowing that would be Alec's plan B if ghosts were a no go.

"I'm really excited about this guys,"Biggs exclaimed between them. He had an excited hop to his walk as he anticipated the adventure that awaited them. X5s loved adventures. They loved missions and solving problems. That was the one thing Manticore was good at doing, providing puzzles for their highly intelligent creations to solve. "I haven't hunted yet even though Dan keeps promising he'll take me. I've been bored out of my mind-" He gave a dramatic sigh, scuffing the dirt along the side of the road. "They just don't get it." They really didn't. Humans couldn't even begin to comprehend a transgenic's need for stimulation and adventure. They weren't just ordinary kids. Luckily, his Dad and Uncle understood that and made an effort to involve them in every hunt, even if they weren't allowed to go on certain hunts. Even a simple puzzle could hold their interest for a while.

"Maybe you should talk to them,"Ben suggest, switching the backpack to his other shoulder. He was pretty sure Alec packed an iron-linked chain. That sounded like something his brother would deem important.

"I've tried,"Biggs sighed. "Mandy's tried too-"Maybe they should have invited Mandy, but Biggs really needed a guys night. "But, they just don't get it. They keep looking at us like we're just kids from an unfortunate situation." Biggs frowned. "We're not just kids. We're more than that."

"Sounds frustrating,"Alec sympathized. Sometimes adults just didn't get it.

"So, this is extremely awesome that you're both doing this for me,"Biggs explained. Ben knew Biggs was happy about being rescued. They all were. They loved their new lives, but it was still taking time for everyone to adjust to the normal world. Manticore had really screwed everyone up pretty badly.

They came upon the rickety, old farm house with the shutters falling off and the white paint peeling. The roof had holes thanks to the termites that made a meal out of it. The country yard was overgrown and an apple tree bowed, eerily, in the front. Again, Ben's warning flags went off. Did he listen? Of course not.

"I heard that Ol' lady Mildred died here a summer or two ago,"Biggs whispered, excitedly. "Josh from the park told me about her. He's convinced she haunts the hallways and her body was buried on the property. The county hasn't been able to sell the house yet."

"How did she die?"Ben asked. Not all spirits stuck around. Something extremely tragic normally happened, making the soul hellbent on completing it's goal. "If it was old age, we're probably not gonna find a spirit." He hated being a downer, but someone needed to provide the reality check. Normally, that role landed on his shoulders. Lucky him.

"Murder,"Biggs whispered, grinning widely. It really made Ben question Biggs's sanity. Nobody should be that excited about a murder case.

"Murder,"Ben repeated, unsure. Alec vibrated next to him with excited energy. Hunting gave Alec life. He loved sneaking into places and fighting ghosts. It gave him an adrenaline rush. Ben nodded. "Yup, that could do it. How was she murdered?"

"These dudes decided to rob her house,"Biggs explained. The boys had started moving towards the house. "Apparently, the rumor that went around was that Mildred had a collection of expensive silverware, authentic silver, that she collected during her travels in her younger days. Some jerks decided to rob her and instead killed her when she woke up and surprised them."

Ben nodded his head slowly. This could be an actual case or it could be a child's horror story rumor. All depends. But, most tall tales had actual facts added in. "Where was she buried,"Ben asked.

Biggs pointed towards the depressing image of an apple tree. "Under that tree,"Biggs stated. "Josh told me, she wrote in her will that if she died, she wanted to be buried under that tree. Her husband had planted the tree when they first built the house." A bittersweet story in Ben's opinion. He really wanted to know who this Josh kid was. The kid seemed like a trip.

"Then lets get going,"Alec exclaimed. He started singing the Ghost Busters theme song, marching towards the 'haunted house'. Ben rolled his eyes the moment Biggs joined in, marching along with Alec. Ben strolled behind. He was convinced it was a kid's tall tale now. But, doing this for Biggs was a good idea. It would give him a story to tell.

Alec kicked open the front door, dust poured down on them. They coughed, brushing the gray dust balls out of their hair. The floor squeaked beneath their feet and old furniture was covered in haunting white sheets. It was quiet besides the skittering of rats that inhabited the abandoned house. An old rocking chair was situated next to a worn down Piano. Family pictures and creepy old portraits hung from the walls.

Alec wandered towards the piano, brushing the dust away. He pressed a key and the booming sound of the piano filled the area. Ben glared. Alec smiled, sheepishly. They were supposed to be quiet, not alert the ghost to their presence. Biggs held an iron rod in one hand. Ben had a whole bag of salt as he pulled out the EMF. The clicking told them no spirits were in the room currently.

"I'll check upstairs,"Alec proposed. His hand rested on the wooden rail. Stairs leading up to the bedrooms. "You two can investigate down here." Ben rolled his eyes. Alec was trying to be like Dad. Dad always went alone when investigating ghosts.

"Don't you know splitting up is a bad idea,"Ben whispered, slightly annoyed. Alec shot him a perturbed glare. He hated when his decisions were questioned. But, Ben had been introduced to a few horror movies recently. Unlike Scooby-Doo, the one who deviated from the group, normally got killed. He didn't feel like finding his dead brother.

"We're not the stupid teens in the horror movie,"Alec quipped. "We're the badass hunters." Alec placed a foot on the steps. The old stairs creaked beneath his weight. "What could possibly go wrong?"

"Everything,"Ben murmured. The moment his brother said that, he knew their hunt had been jinxed. Shit was about to hit the fan. Alec disappeared upstairs, using his feline DNA to his advantage. He grabbed Biggs's shoulder, pulling the boy along. "Come on." Biggs pulled his gaze away from the creepy pictures and the piles of junkie memorabilia. "Lets investigate the first floor."

"Will Alec be okay?"Ben shrugged, pulling out his own rod. He felt chains. Yup, Alec definitely did pack iron chains.

"If he screams, we'll help him,"he answered. He couldn't be his brother's keeper. Alec was ten and quite capable of taking care of himself. "Come on. He'll be fine." Biggs nodded, following Ben into the kitchen. The EMF clicked, a couple areas had a higher residual frequency, but the EMF quickly returned to it's normal sound. Biggs was, curiously, opening drawers. Besides several cracked plates, a few dusty cups, and a fat mouse nothing was important. Ben was starting to believe that his original opinion about the ghost not existing was accurate.

A howl echoed through the night air, alerting the two transgenics to a presence. Biggs jumped when the howl happened a second time. "Very funny, Alec," Ben called. Alec obviously didn't find anything, instead taking the opportunity to freak out his best friend and brother.

"What?"Alec asked, appearing in the kitchen.

"You're howling,"Ben stated. "Quit it. We're on a very important investigation." Alec mimicked him, putting emphasis in important and investigation. He rolled his eyes.

"You're such a prude,Ben,"Alec grumbled, shoving past his brother. He played with the faucet. "And for your information, I was not howling. How could you think so lowly of me?" Ben rolled his eyes. He didn't feel like getting into an argument with Alec. If Alec wanted to goof off, he could, but Ben was going to find the 'ghost' so he could get back to his sleeping bag that was beckoning him.

"What did you find upstairs?"Biggs asked, leaning against the counter. The three transgenics were coming to the conclusion that the ghost didn't actually exist. Too bad.

"Nothing but a room full of creepy ass dolls,"Alec stated with a shiver. "Those hollow eyes are horrifying enough without the presence of a ghost."

"Cool,"Biggs stated. "I'd like to see." Ben rolled his eyes. He couldn't fathom the reasons for wanting to be terrified. Dolls were creepy, especially the old ones.

"I'll show you,"Alec offered, waving his hands forward. Ben decided the hunt was a bust and hopefully they would be heading home soon. Biggs grinned and Ben trailed behind the two excited boys. The howl happened a third time, causing all three boys to jump.

"Okay,"Alec drawled, looking between his brother and friend. "That wasn't me. I swear."

"I realize,"Ben stated, knowing now his brother was telling the truth. A growl had all three boys turning. They could hear the drop of slobber as it hit the wooden floor. The soft warm breeze drifted through the shredded screen door that led into the backyard. Shit. A woman stood there with glowing yellow eyes and canine teeth. Her claws were out, blood dripping from the tips. The coppery smell told Ben that the unfortunate victim was a young buck...shit...and they were next.

"Run,"Alec squeaked. They ran. From previous experience with werewolves, you couldn't kill them unless you were fortunate enough to have silver on hand. Sadly, they weren't fortunate enough. They prepared for a ghost hunt not for a werewolf. Werewolves also matched transgenic strength, on a full moon they were unstoppable. The werewolf lurched forward, letting out a horrifying howl. Her hair was matted with mud and blood.

Gut instincts. Always listen to your gut instincts.

Their feet pounded the ground as they followed Alec up the stairs. They could hear the snarling behind them, but thanks to their blurring speed they were able to stay ahead. If one werewolf was around, most likely there would be more. Werewolves were pack monsters. They slid down the hall, Alec threw open one of the doors, herding his brother and best friend in before slamming it shut. The werewolf slammed into the door right after. Biggs held it shut as Alec and Ben threw dolls off the the mahogany cupboard shelves. They lifted it together.

"Move,"they hollered at Biggs. Biggs moved, just as they dropped the cupboard in front of the door, barricading themselves in.

"Shit,"Ben exclaimed, leaning against the piece of furniture. This was not good. This was not good at all. They were stuck in the doll room with a crazed werewolf after them and no weapons. He paced. He needed a plan.  
"We can go out the window,"Alec suggested. His eyes widened when he realized that option was a no go. Four more werewolves circled the perimeter. One, maybe two, they could fight, but five not likely. Even highly trained super-soldiers would have a difficult time fighting werewolves with extra energy from the full moon and avoid getting bitten. The female werewolf had slowed down her banging.

"This is a disaster,"Ben grumbled, batting a doll away. Stupid dolls. He knew this was a bad idea. He just knew it. "And Dad and Uncle Sam have no idea where we're at." He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. He needed to think. Needed a plan to get out of this mess without being mauled.

"What are werewolves' weaknesses?" Biggs asked. "I'm assuming what I just saw was a werewolf."

"You assumed correct,"Ben stated. Green eyes darting as he searched for a plan. Alec was keeping an eye on the four outside, who were still circling the little farm house. His face was partially in the shadows, partially in the moonlight. "Silver."

"Wolfsbane,"Alec added. "Shit, they're gonna wait us out. I'm not that good tasting, dickhead!" Ben grabbed his brother, covering his mouth. The wolves' ears perked.

"They've got enhanced hearing remember,"Ben hissed. Alec nodded his head, breathing heavily. "We need a plan."

"The silver cutlery,"Biggs stated. Ben rolled his eyes.

"Yeah,"Ben grunted out. All he wanted was his bed, but that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. This situation reminded him of mission training back at Manticore. How to improvise and get out of enemy territory. They were on enemy territory right now. "But where are we going to find it?"

Biggs smirked, pointing a finger. "There." Ben thanked whoever was up there looking out for them because a box had slid out of the cupboard, exposing the very real silver. Just maybe they'd get out of this alive now. A plan was forming in Ben's mind. He could see the cogs in both Alec and Biggs's heads turning.

"Alright,"Ben stated. "This is what we'll do." The boys circled. "We strike to kill. Make sure our backs are covered. We'll start with the female on the second floor. Biggs, you'll hold the door shut when we move the cupboard. You move the moment Alec and I shove the cupboard through the door, trapping her. Werewolves are strong. The surprise should give us a few seconds to take her down. Good?"

Alec and Biggs nodded. "What about the other four?" Biggs asked.

"We lure them in one at a time,"Alec suggested. Ben nodded. "That way we have the situation under control." Just like basic Manticore training, lure and disarm.

"Got it,"Biggs agreed. "We'll need bait."

"Us,"Alec suggested. Ben facepalmed himself.

"That's a terrible idea,"Ben grounded out. Alec shook his head.

"No, it isn't,"Alec responded. "They want us. If one of us makes a bit of noise, one of the wolves will have to investigate. Simple pack mentality." Ben was extremely happy that Alec had spent ridiculously long hours watching Animal Planet and other nature channels. They had to keep in mind though, these were werewolves not normal wolves. "I volunteer as tribute." Ben rolled his eyes, snorting.

"Fine,"Ben agreed. The banging had started back up near the door.

"Shoot, guys,"Biggs hissed. "Only three are out there now." Alec and Ben glanced at each other and nodded, grabbing their backpacks. They pulled out what they needed. Ben grabbed the silver knives, handing them to his brother and friend. Alec hid one in his boot, the other in his jacket, and the third he held. Ben and Biggs did the same.

"Don't you dare,"a hollow voice shrilled. The three transgenics jumped as the ghost glided forward, wrinkled and crooked finger pointing at them. Ben could say they were caught red-handed with their hands in the cookie jar. Or in their case, hands in the silverware box.

"Now you show up?"Ben muttered. Only a ghost would show up during an all out werewolf ambush. Just the Winchester luck. There were two Winchesters currently which meant double the bad luck.

"You put that back,"she hissed. Her mouth opened into a scream as she flew at them, hands out ready to shred the three kids.

"Not today,"Ben growled. "Hasta la vista, baby." He swung out the rod and the ghost disappeared into smoke. Now, he'd have to keep an eye out for one ghost and five werewolves.

"A ghost and a werewolf,"Alec quipped, opening his backpack, so the rod was out and easy to grab. "All we need is a vampire and we've got the hit tv series Being Human." Biggs chuckled, before schooling his features and preparing for escape.

"Don't jinx it,"Ben ordered. Alec smirked as he took the other side of the cupboard. "On the count of three-" Biggs was at the door, ready to open it and run to avoid the flying furniture.

"One." Ben and Alec lifted. Biggs unlocked the door.

"Two." They shifted their stance. The damn thing was heavy. The female werewolf had started banging and howling at the door. Biggs was the only one, keeping her out.

"Three." Biggs opened the door. Ran out of the way. The cupboard flew, knocking the werewolf over and trapping her underneath. She struggled as Ben approached her. Her jaws snapped as he bent down to her level. The second wolf, a man, appeared on the same floor. Alec pulled out a chain with a hook at the end. Apparently, he did pack one, who would have thought. He swung the chain at the charging wolf. The sharp hook caught the wolf in the face, causing him to stumble. As the chain wrapped around him.

Ben held the silver knife in his hand. His features schooled into indifference. Manticore indifference. The wolf struggled to get the cupboard off. His hand shook as the present scenario Brought on a flashback. _He was eight. The prisoner was running as he and his unit chased him down like a pack of wild wolves. They circled him in the woods. Cornered him. He couldn't escape. They drew out their knives, ready to strike. The man pleaded. They didn't care. Orders had to be followed. His knife drove into the prisoner's skull._ A tear slid down Ben's cheek. His lips quivered. Biggs had already helped Alec take down the other werewolf. It was so easy to pretend to be innocent.

"Ben." He could hear Biggs's voice, nothing but a haze. "What are you doing?" The female werewolf was pushing the cupboard off, every intention to kill him. Every intention to devour him. This situation was different. He was not killing an innocent victim. He was saving lives.

"I'm sorry,"he apologized to the woman, in case she had no control. Maybe, she was a good person. Maybe, she was unfortunately bitten. But, if he didn't act now...he'd be unfortunately eaten. He pressed the palm of his hand against her forehead, holding her head in place. She snarled and snapped, nothing but a wild animal. He turned his gaze, taking the silver knife and quickly jabbing it upwards into the back of her skull. Just like Manticore showed him. He removed the knife, wiping the tears from his eyes with his sleeve. He wasn't innocent. He was never innocent. He breathed heavily, noting the two dead werewolves. He had to do what he had to do. It was survival now.

Biggs and Alec gave him a moment of space. A moment to calm his nerves and slow his breath. He looked back up, the previous emotions washed away. Compartmentalize. That's what Lydecker always said. Lydecker was probably laughing in his grave right now. They could never be normal.

"Lets go,"he stated. His brother nodded, patting his shoulder as he walked past. Alec understood. He always understood. The ghost appeared a second time down the hall. She accused them of thievery. Her bony finger quivering. Biggs took care of her this time. After this, they needed to find her body and burn it.

They returned to the kitchen, barricading the shredded screen door. Alec disappeared, quietly out a different door. Ben and Biggs prepared for the next wolf to appear. They chose a spot that would be perfect for a trap. They pushed a table over, using it as a barricade to stand behind and block oncoming jaws. Biggs held a pan as a shield, ready to smash faces in.

The third one came growling, right on Alec's tail. Alec flipped over the werewolf, landing gracefully behind the approaching beast. Biggs swung the pan, smashing the teeth out of the wolf. The werewolf went flying hitting the cupboard. Pots and Pans clattered.

"Shit,"Ben grumbled. They could hear the other two coming for them, howling for their friend. The fourth tackled Alec through the window, teeth snapping, as Alec used his knife to fend off the beast. He grabbed the second one from his boot, rolling with it as he gained the upper hand. He flipped the wolf over, using his arm to cut off the wolf's air supply. His other hand came down with the knife as his opponent struggled in his powerful grip. Alec's features were blank just like the trained assassin he was.

Biggs was striking the fifth with powerful punches, ducking each swipe, as his booted foot planted into the wolf's chest, pushing him away. Biggs bent backwards just as the wolf struck with his claws. Twisting his back, he plunged the knife into the werewolf's shoulder. The werewolf howled as the silver burned his skin. He used a series of kicks, uppercuts, and elbow smashes at lightening fast speeds, taking the wolf by surprise.

Ben had taken on the original third. He had climbed back up to his feet. A snarl on his bloody face. They circled each other. Both murderers. Both monsters in their own ways. The hunter's life had a lot of gray area. That's what Uncle Sam always said. Sometimes Ben didn't believe it. Sometimes there was just good and just bad. What was he?

The wolf attacked first, Ben dodged the blow, twisting, kicking,leaping, and ramming his elbow into the wolf's back. The wolf stumbled, swiping claws which Ben avoided.

"My silverware,"the ghost howled as she moved forward, grabbing for Ben. Ben dodged the first strike, but the telekinesis threw him against the wall. With a humph, he climbed back to his feet, Ghost and werewolf coming for him at the same time. Alec shouted his name and he caught the rod that his brother tossed him.

He swung, hitting the ghost and smacking the werewolf in the head at the same time. The wolf tripped him and he landed on his butt, just as the monster pounced. He rolled, kicking with his foot right into the wolf's chin. Head snapped back as the monster hit the ceiling. Ben scrambled to his feet, yanked his knife out of his boot and jammed it into the monster's heart. The wolf fell. Dead. Two more bodies hit the floor as Alec and Biggs breathed heavily on high alert.

More howls echoed from the forest.

"Shit,"Ben spat, running a bloody hand down his face. "Shit." The whole shit storm hadn't reached it's peak yet. At least thirteen different howls resonated from the forest.

"We gotta get the hell out of dodge,"Alec stated, muscles tense and adrenaline pumping. His pupils were dilated. A cat ready for fight or flight.

"We can't take on all of them,"Biggs stated. They had gotten lucky with the first five. They were lucky because they were trained in these situations. Well, not exactly these situations, but close enough. "This is nuts." Welcome to the hunting business, Biggs. It's one fucked up ride that never ends.

"Lets run,"Ben decided. His face was smudged with blood and dirt. "If they attack before our escape. We fight." The boys nodded as they burst through the shredded screen door into the night air. Booted feet pounded into the ground. The howls grew louder.

It was unfortunate that werewolves were just as strong and as fast. They might have had a chance. But, Ben found himself surrounded by the snapping jaws of angry monsters. Their faces grotesquely deformed. Shit.

He held up his hand, knife slipping out of the sleeve. The monsters approached, steadily, biding their time. They were screwed. They needed to fight. Jump. Something. Alec was ready to lurch. Biggs was ready to fight. They had no choice but to fight and destroy. No choice was given. The only choice they had was not leaving for a stupid ghost hunt that night. They blew it tremendously.

"Back to back,"Ben ordered. Alec already had his back to Ben's before he could even throw the next order. The ghost was wailing on the porch, her old, freakishly pale features burning an image into his memory. No chance retreating back to the house now.

His hand shook, palm slick around the knife. Teeth gritted and eyes dilated. The wolves were going to launch. The wolves were going to rip them to shreds.

A grin stretched across Ben's face when the sound of an impala horn blared through the night. A sound that couldn't be sweeter. Ben didn't even care about how much trouble they were in. He didn't even care that they would be grounded for life. The only thing he cared about was seeing his Dad and Uncle again.

Silver bullets were shot as the impala rolled to a stop, scuffing the dirt ground. His Dad and Uncle were outside the door, firing shot after shot. The kids dove, taking cover behind a bush as the werewolves' focus turned towards the older pair of Winchester brothers. The rumbling of jeeps could be heard in the distance as Dan O'Connell arrived with his hunting crew. They circled the wolves, taking each one down, mercilessly.

* * *

The boys made their appearance, once the wolves were dead. Ben limped forward, followed by Alec. Dan had already scooped up Biggs, hugging the boy, as he did an injury check. Ben could hear Biggs reassuring his adoptive father that he was alright. That he wasn't bitten.

Ben was suddenly pulled into a hug. One cheek against Alec's cheek, the other against their father's jacket.

"Don't ever do that to me again,"Dean grunted as a forth body pressed against them. Sam. Ben let the tears loose, soaking his father's shirt, he apologized over and over again. He didn't care about the punishment that he knew was coming.

"There are five dead in the house," Alec stated. His voice sounded weird. Absent of humor. Uncle Sam had performed the injury check already, deeming them safe. Alec swallowed heavily. "We killed them...we didn't have a choice." Dean shushed him, rocking the boys, promising them everything was alright now.

"Be careful of the ghost,"Ben explained to Sam as the hunter led a group of men to investigate the damage done. "She's mad that we stole her silver knives." Dean laughed. A choked up hysterical version of a laugh.

"You're both in so much trouble,"Dean murmured, holding the boys closer.

"I kinda expected that,"Ben responded back. He didn't care. He honestly didn't. He had almost been ripped to shreds by werewolves.

"What's the verdict?"Alec asked, burying his nose into Dean's jacket. Biggs was getting the same treatment from Dan. Ben was pretty damn sure that Laurie would freak out when Biggs came home. He might not be seeing Biggs for a while.

"Grounded for life,"Dean answered.

"Expected that too,"Ben stated with a sigh. He wasn't going to groan about it. Better than being werewolf chow.

"Dead,"one of the hunters called, signaling the others. Two more were currently searching for the ghost's body to salt and burn. "You boys were lucky." Not luck, transgenics. His father's thumb rubbed his forehead, trying to remove the foreign blood.

Turned out, it was a pack of werewolves that were drifting through Manitou Springs with the intention to cause mayhem and overthrow the hunter family that resided in the town. Dan had been watching their movement, knowing the weres were planning to strike anyone on the full moon. They were looking for kills. A hunt. They planned to murder anyone unfortunate enough to leave their homes, devouring their hearts. They weren't good people. They had never been good people. That didn't change the guilt that tightened Ben's heart.

Laurie had checked on the boys that night when the call came in. Entering the room, she had discovered the boys missing. She had flipped out, calling her husband and the Winchesters. The hunters had searched everywhere, but had no clue where to start first, considering the boys hadn't left a note or anything. They were about to head further into town, when howls of a hunt caught their ears. The distance told the hunters, the wolves were in the forest near Ol' Lady Mildred's home. The Winchesters had immediately known their boys were in trouble. They had gathered the local hunters, going after the pack of bloodthirsty monsters.

According to Biggs, he was grounded for life too. He was under house arrest until further notice. That's what he told Alec and Ben at least, while they were driving in the car. They knew it wouldn't last for life, but they had given their families a good scare. They doubted freedom of movement was in the near future.

Ben didn't care as he sat in his father's impala. He was home. He'd tell his father later about the flashbacks. His father hadn't questioned their plight. Their coldblooded kills. Ben knew it was coming though and it made him sick to his stomach. He just hoped his father and uncle would understand. After all, he wasn't innocent. None of them were.

* * *

 **Well, here's a longer one-shot. I hope you liked it. Really dug into a bit about Ben. Please review. Life of being a hunter.**


	9. Of Uncles and Nephews

**Hi everyone! Thanks for all the lovely reviews. I enjoyed reading each one.**

 **Also, on a side note, thanks Kate for your review on Bloodlines. I understand the confusion and worry about adding Emma in would just be dog-piling the impala. I promise you, that will not be the case. I started the story off with her as a shock factor, just so that the audience will understand Dean's position of suddenly having a child unexpectedly introduced to his life since the audience, as well, suddenly had a new, random character introduced in such an abrupt way. With Alec and Ben, everyone knew the twins would be coming to stay with the Winchesters because of previous chapters. Emma's storyline will be different. I am removing myself canonically from Supernatural. I thought it was a shame that the writers killed Emma off before even giving her a decision or chance to redeem or prove herself. As much as I loved that episode, I felt like the end was lazy and a way to make Dean's life more miserable, instead of dealing with and providing a new challenge for the brothers. It was obvious throughout the episode that she was feeling conflicted, but felt like she needed to kill her father in order to be accepted by her people. Part of the reason Sam killed her was out of revenge for Amy Pond, the Kitsune. I had plans of tweaking this idea long before I even started writing The Family Business. The supernatural world is not always black and white, this is my way of showing that by using her. I think the writers forget that sometimes when they write episodes. Her story will come together, I promise. By the end, she will be a functioning, well-rounded character just like the others. She just needs time to develop. She's only three days old. ;) Thanks again for your review, if you have any more questions or worries, I will be happy to answer.**

 **Back to the previous note. Damn, that was a long message lol. Here's the next one shot, I got inspiration and decided to write it before the plot-bunny died. This one-shot story is placed before the hunt in the last chapter. All stories are out of order. Enjoy!**

Of Uncles and Nephews

"Hey." Ben glanced up from the book he was reading. He was on his bed, in the attic that he and Alec shared. The curtains were open, letting in the summer light. His uncle was standing at the door, leaning against the frame. Ben had heard his heavy footsteps, long before the door had creaked open.

"Hey, yourself,"Ben responded, slipping the bookmark in and closing his book. He stretched his limbs, cracking the joints in his stiff muscles. He had taken advantage of the silence in Bobby's house to mull over some wonderful literature. Previously, he had dedicated his time to a book on science and anatomy, finding the human physiology fascinating. He had wanted to learn more about the nervous and circulatory system and had found books at the Sioux Falls library. Now, he was doing some light reading with the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Alec had disappeared with Seth and Kavi to cause mischief and mayhem in town. He had been invited, but decided on quiet time. Living with a hyperactive brother was exhausting and required long hours of recuperation. In fact, most activities required long hours of recuperation. It was hard to find time when his family was loud, boisterous, and constantly in each others' presence.

"Whatcha doin' up here?" Sam asked, taking the acknowledgment as an invite. Ben smirked when Sam kicked Alec's pile of clothes out of the way. His uncle grumbled about messes and keeping rooms clean.

"Just some light reading,"Ben answered, leaning against the bed frame. His smirk twisted into a proud smile when his uncle's eyes popped, gazing over the time consuming literature and medical journals. Yeah, Ben was really growing to like human anatomy and medical research. If his childhood hadn't been terrible, he might even consider pursuing medicine. But that dream died when he met his first doctor and the blade of their scalpel. Manticore doctors took the fun out of everything.

"Light reading, huh,"Sam stated with a smirk. He picked up the anatomy book, shaking it slightly. "Anatomy?"

Ben shrugged. "I like to know how things work,"Ben responded, indifferently. He tossed the book onto the growing pile of literature. Sam smiled, flipping through the textbook. His uncle shook his head in amusement. "Is everything alright?"

Sam's eyes shot up to his nephew. Ben's brows furrowed, waiting for an answer. "Yeah,"Sam answered. "Everything's fine. I just wanted to check on you."

"I'm good,"Ben replied, easily. He picked at the wool blanket on his bed. The summer was way too hot to sleep under the blanket, but Ben kept finding himself curled up next to it every night, even though it was blistering hot. The fourth of July was fast approaching. After the fourth, Ben knew they would be heading out. First to deal with a few hunts down in the south than to visit the O'Connells. Alec had begged, Dean relented. His brother had plans for a stupid hunt that Ben was positive would backfire like most of Alec's brilliant plans. "Alec's out." Maybe, Sam wanted to know where his more mischievous twin was.

"I know,"Sam stated, rubbing the back of his head. His uncle was wearing shorts and a t-shirt. Sioux Falls could get blistering hot. He had the fan going, hoping that the attic would cool down.

"He went down to the creek,"Ben mentioned. He was trying to figure out why his uncle was here. Sam needed quiet time just as much as he did. As much as he loved his father, his Dad had an overbearing personality as well. Something Alec must have inherited. "With Kavi and Seth. They're playing baseball."

"Didn't want to go?"

Ben shook his head. "Nah." He flickered through his book. "They're just gonna end up tormenting the local girls." Alec had discovered great enjoyment harassing the local teens of Sioux Falls with water-balloons. Once they were done playing baseball, he knew the second step to Alec's fantastic summer adventure would be pranking the locals.

Sam chuckled before quickly sobering. "Say, do you want to do something?" Ben raised a brow, green eyes studying the older hunter.

"With the others?"Ben asked. Most times when something happened his dad and brother were involved too. Most fun adventures involved the whole family.

"No,"Sam stated. "Just us...since...you know...since everyone's gone." His Dad and Bobby had left to meet up with some hunters that were drifting through Sioux Falls. Bobby always liked having a second hunter around, just in case the meeting went south. Not all hunters saw eye to eye. Some weren't as trustworthy as others which made it difficult to figure out who would be a friend and who would be a foe. Brin had left to meet up with new friends at a mall. It had been a surprise to see his normally quiet sister break out of her shell and meet new people.

Sam's statement intrigued Ben. He found himself sitting up and staring down his uncle. No matter how long he may have lived with Sam and Dean, Sam was still awkward at times with the whole uncle, nephew relationship development shit. "Why?"Ben knew he wasn't helping Sam's awkward nerves with his questions.

Sam shrugged. "We never talk,"Sam stated. That was the truth. It was always Sam, Ben, Alec, and Dean in a situation. It was hard to just talk during car rides since everyone was competing to be heard. "I'd like to know what's going on with you. How you're doin'. Shoot the breeze-" Ben giggled, noticing the awkward puff in his uncle's cheeks. Sam raised his hand to ruffle the back of his head, his thumb pointed towards the door. "But, if you don't want to-"

Ben shook his head, jumping off his bed. "Nah,"Ben answered. "I'd love too." He didn't miss the relief on Sam's face. Uncle Sam was an odd duck. Ben rolled his eyes.

"Good,"Sam drawled, relaxing.

"What would you like to do?"Ben asked, sorting through his stuff. This would be the first time he hung out with his uncle one on one. Their lives were busy which meant spending quality family time was lacking.

"I just needed to run a few errands,"Sam stated. "We can get lunch and maybe go to the bookstore afterward." Ben brightened. "I'd like that,"Ben stated. "I'll put on my shoes." He passed Sam as he raced towards the front door to put on his shoes. Sam breathed a sigh of relief.

* * *

Ben grinned, feet propped up on the impala's dashboard and eyes watching the scenery pass by. Uncle Sam was driving and drinking the ice tea in his hand. They had stopped off at Home Depot to pick up planks of wood, Sam was remodeling the old shed out in Bobby's yard. It was falling apart and needed new shelving.

Ben had quickly realized that every time they went to Bobby's, his dad and uncle would fix something up. Whether it was an old pipe, a backed up toilet, or a squeaky faucet. They had fixed the roof last month when water was leaking into Bobby's room because of a hole. This time around, the basement had started collecting water and black mold had been forming along the ceiling and walls. His Dad had quickly found the issue and fixed it.

Curiously,Ben had asked why they fixed everything. Helping people was never part of Manticore and the action was foreign to Ben at the time. Uncle Sam had responded that Bobby was getting old and it's getting harder for him to perform simple household maintenance. It was their duty as family to help him.

Ben had liked the response, deciding that he would do the same for his Dad and Uncle when they got too old to care of the Impala.

He took a large sip of his chocolate milk-shake, before taking a bite of his chicken nuggets. They had stopped off at a drive-thru to get burgers and shakes. Even Uncle Sam was indulging today. His uncle had driven outside of Sioux and Ben had no idea where they were heading. But, he didn't care. It was nice spending quality time with his uncle. This time was rare. He watched as trees passed and a hawk circled in the sky, wings spread out.

"So, anatomy,"Sam stated, breaking the silence. "You like science?" Ben's head quirked to the side, as he swirled his milkshake.

"Yeah,"Ben answered, smiling. "Considering I'm a half-baked science project, it only seems right that I would find my origins fascinating." Sam chuckled, ruffling Ben's hair with his free hand. Ben batted the giant hand away, grinning.

"What do you like most about science?"Sam asked, returning to his ice tea. He took a right, impala wheels hitting the dirt road.

Ben sighed, biting the inside of his cheek. "I don't know,"He answered with a shrug. "I guess I like that the world is shrouded in mystery. There's always something new to be discovered." He played with the nugget on his plate. He'd like to discover something. Make a finding that would wow the world. Well, considering he was an incredible discovery in the scientific world, he was already half way there.

"That there is," Sam agreed, popping a fry into his mouth. He pulled to a stop in front of a crystalline lake. A broad smile tugged at his lips as he looked at the expansive lake hidden behind trees. Ben's eyes popped at the beauty. He spotted a deer hidden behind trees, right before it disappeared back into the forest. "Do you wanna walk?"

"Yeah,"Ben whispered, unbuckling. The lake was beautiful. He really wanted to dip his toes in the clear blue water. Sam grinned, opening the driver side door. Ben quickly followed, feet hitting rocky dirt. "It's beautiful."

"I used to come here as a kid,"Sam stated, smiling. He took in a deep breath of air. Closing his eyes, he enjoyed the sweet smell of nature. "Your Dad and I used to hike down here every summer and swim." He started leading Ben along the forest pathway and around the lake. A dragonfly buzzed past his ear, a smile spread across Ben's face.

"Did you camp?"Ben asked, pulling at a green leaf.

"Sometimes,"Sam stated, smiling. "We'd bring fishing rods and try to catch our dinner." Sam chuckled. "I got mad at your Dad once because he shoved me into the lake. At the time, I was worried about brain-eating bacteria." Ben giggled.

"He sounds like Alec,"Ben stated. Alec had tried to do something similar to him when they were at the creek two days ago.

"Dean and Alec have a lot in common,"Sam agreed. He pointed a finger and Ben's eyes caught a glimpse of a rope hanging from a tree over the lake. "See that rope, we'd swing back and forth on it for hours." His brows furrowed. "It used to be a tire swing, but the tire must have snapped off." Ben smiled, already imagining his Dad and Uncle's childhood. "We put it there. Dean wanted an easy way to make cool diving tricks."

They wandered towards the old rope. Ben's eyes dilated, spotting the disfigured wood where two names were carved into it. He immediately recognized his father and uncle's initials in the old tree. "Liked carving your names into stuff, huh,"Ben teased, walking forward.

"We're territorial,"Sam quipped, following Ben. "We considered this tree ours at the time. Wanted the world to know." Ben traced the initials with his finger. Similar initials found on the impala's door. A gust of summer breeze tugged at Ben's hair. He walked around the tree, immediately spotting another carving with his Dad's and somebody else's initials surrounded by a heart. Sam snorted.

"Jennifer Millers,"Sam stated. Ben's eyes shot up to his Uncle's. "Your Dad's summer fling. He was smitten. Spent all summer following her around like a lost puppy."

"How old was he?"Ben asked. These initials were definitely younger than the previous ones. Dad must have been really smitten because he had carved several hearts into the wood and an arrow.

"Fifteen,"Sam stated, grinning. "She was seventeen. A junior." Ben gave a low whistle. Two years older than his Dad. "They liked each other a lot."

"What happened to her?" Sam shrugged, ruffling Ben's hair.

"Not sure,"Sam answered. "One day, they just stopped seeing each other. Then she left town with her family."

"Is she still alive?"

"Hopefully,"Sam stated.

They moved away from the tree, kicking a pine cone between each other. Ben grinned as he tried to get the pine cone out from underneath Sam's foot. His uncle stumbled from Ben's strong impact, though he stubbornly refused to release the cone from underneath his large foot. Finally, he kicked it and Ben chased after the rolling pine cone. He balanced the cone on his foot before kicking it into the lazy freshwater waves that lapped at the rocky shore.

"You went to law school?"Ben inquired, hands in the pockets of his jean shorts. He remembered his uncle mentioning his past life once. Sam nodded, picking at a long piece of grass.

"For a couple years,"Sam answered. "I loved law school." He smiled in reminiscence. "Loved my classes. Loved my friends. Loved the challenge. I wanted to be a defense lawyer. Provide justice to those who couldn't find any." He tore the grass apart. "I had big dreams."

"What happened?" Sam's face fell.

"Family happened."

"Oh." Ben's gaze focused on the stones under his feet. Sam sighed, knowing he had said the wrong thing. It wasn't completely Dean's fault. Nor was it his Dad's. The supernatural world got in the way. A normal life was too big a dream for a hunter. Sam now accepted that fact, though he still hoped Ben and Alec would be able to break the cycle. Could get away from it all.

"Don't think that way,Benny,"Sam ordered. Ben's eyes popped back up to his uncle. Obvious surprise crossed his face."It's not because of you or Alec. It's not even Dean's fault. Life just got in the way-" Sam rubbed the back of his head. "I was hoping to be someone I'm not and it backfired." Sam smiled softly. "I'm happy now. I've accepted who I am...What I am...and I am so beyond thrilled that my awesome-" He pulled Ben close, scratching his knuckle affectionately across Ben's scalp. "little nephews came into my life." Sam planted a kiss on the crown of his head and Ben grinned. "I don't regret any of it, anymore."

Ben nodded. "What about us?"Ben asked, leaning against his uncle as they walked. Sam slung an arm around his shoulders. "I've heard you say you don't want us trapped-"

Sam raised a brow. Those were private conversations with Dean. "You heard that?" Ben tapped his ear. Sam chuckled, as he brushed the back of his head with his large fingers. An awkward tick that he had developed at a young age. "Well, I don't. I want you to be whoever you want to be. I don't want you to feel like you've gotta be a hunter because we're hunters." Sam kicked up dirt as he thought about his next statement. "I want you and Alec to go to college. I want you and Alec to pursue your dreams. I want you-" He bopped Ben's nose with a finger and the child laughed. "To become a doctor."

"A doctor?"Ben responded, alarmed. Yeah, he liked reading medical journals. Sure, he loved diagnosing people and fixing scrapes with antiseptics and a bandage. But, he wasn't the doctor type. He wasn't good enough to be a doctor. He wasn't cold enough...or...or Manticore enough.

"Yeah,"Sam stated, noticing the turmoil going on in Ben's head. "We both know that's where you're heading. And don't give me that look, you're quite capable." Ben rolled his eyes, dragging a hand through his hair. "Besides, we need a doctor in the family. Think about all the injuries that happen on a weekly basis." Ben laughed. Just yesterday Alec had sprained his arm. He was trying to do an impressive trick, balancing his bike on a wooden beam over a kiddie pool. Nobody questioned what was going through Alec's head. They just scratched it off to Alec being Alec. Let's just say it didn't turn out jaw-dropping amazing like his brother had hoped.

"You think I could?"Ben asked.

Sam nodded. "Absolutely,"he encouraged. Sam really wanted a doctor in the Winchester family. It would make life so much easier. He noticed the fear in Ben's eyes, immediately. "And don't think about Manticore." He lifted the boy's chin. "Manticore didn't have true doctors. Doctors want to help people, Manticore wanted to hurt..."He gazed into Ben's eyes, noticing the fear and the passion...the hope. "Ben Winchester, you are not Manticore." Ben smiled, softly, nodding his head. He was not Manticore. He was a good person because that was what his uncle and father told him.

"I'm not Manticore,"Ben repeated, voice soft. Sam nodded. Ben wasn't crazy either. He wasn't mean. He wasn't evil. Ben was a good person, even though bad thoughts shrouded his good thoughts most times.

"You're not,"Sam stated. "You're Ben-"Sam grinned. "And Ben is awesome." Ben wrapped his arms around Sam's waist, hugging tightly. He squeezed his eyes shut, inhaling his uncle's scent.

"I love you,"he whispered. He loved his uncle Sam. Sam always knew what to say and how to make him feel better.

"I love you too,"Sam answered back. He patted Ben's back, before squeezing his shoulder. "Come on." Ben pulled away, smiling. "Lets get some ice cream."

"I thought you didn't like sugar,"Ben stated. Sam smiled.

"Sometimes, I like to indulge,"Sam replied. "And rocky road is my weakness." Ben laughed, resting his head against Sam's side as they made their way back to the impala. "I'll teach you how to stick metal spoons to your nose."

Ben's brows shot up as Sam pulled out the car keys. "What?"Sam exclaimed with a curve to his lips. "I can be fun sometimes." Ben giggled, hopping into the front seat, just as Sam got into the driver's seat. "Maybe, we'll even make it a triple scoop." Ben's eyes brightened.

"I'd like that."

"Thought you would,"Sam responded, starting the engine. "Now-"He turned the car around, heading back down the road. "Tell me everything you know about the human body."

"Anything?"

"Anything,"Sam said. "I wanna know everything you know."

"Diseases?" Sam's brows shot up.

"If you like." Ben brightened, sitting up straighter in his seat.

"I was reading about measles,"Ben started, bouncing in his seat. "I wanted to learn about symptoms and cures-" Sam smiled as he fixed the rear view mirror. He loved seeing Ben passionate and animate about a topic. Maybe, in the future Ben wouldn't be a doctor. Maybe, his passion would take him a different direction. Maybe, he would discover a new way to help people. To help his family and live to his fullest potential. Sam would just have to nurture that spark. Sam would have to stick around. Sam was going to stick around. He would encourage his nephew to be whatever he dreamed of being. Because Ben was capable of being anything. Besides, that's what uncles were here to do. That's what Sam would do.

Ben smiled at him, happiness glowing in his eyes. He was not Manticore. He was Ben Winchester, Sam's brilliant little nephew.


	10. The Sandlot

**Thanks for the reviews! I hope you'll enjoy this story. I apologize for any grammatical errors. I do not have a beta reader. The inspiration came from the movie, the Sandlot. Enjoy.**

The Sandlot

The sandlot. One of Kavi's favorite places to play baseball. He loved the way the sand sprayed up as his feet pounded into the ground. The soft, worn base that his cleated foot expertly tapped as he raced to home base. Though, at the moment, he was pitching for the guys. He had one of the fastest throws around. He was considered the best pitcher on his baseball team. Though, currently, the game he was playing was more for fun than actual competition. Just him and his seven friends.

"Hey, batter, batter,"A rounder boy called, Mitchell 'Mitts' Parker, shouted. "Swing, batter,batter."

"Will you shut up, Mitts,"Another boy, Doug Langston, snapped at the catcher. Mitts gave him a smug grin as he continued to harass his friend. Kavi chuckled at his friend's irritation, his worn out cap sat firmly on his curly dark hair. Sweat plastering his curls to his tan skin. "Why don't you throw the ball already, Singer. We don't have all day."

"Yeah, Singer,"Tony Martinez from down the street piped up. "Throw the ball. Dougie's losin' daylight." A lanky boy with glasses, chuckled. His buckteeth stuck out over his thin lips.

"Shut up, Beaver,"Doug spat. Beverly 'Beaver' Jones pushed up his glasses, making mockery beaver noises at the tall blonde. Beaver had unfortunately been born to hippie parents, who thought naming their son a girly ass name was a real great idea. Though Beaver protested, explaining the name was gender neutral, the others didn't give a shit. They settled on calling him Beaver and the boy had accepted the nickname, actually preferring it over his real name. The whole school and baseball team called him Beaver now.

"Hey, princess,"Mitts teased, poking fun at his friend. He slammed his mitt into the sand, dust puffing up around them. "Why don't you put your focus on the ball before you stri-" Kavi threw a curve-ball and Mitts caught it easily, cackling. "Oooo...strike one."

"Shut up, Mitts,"Doug snapped, tapping the bat against the ground.

"What?"Mitts quipped as he tossed the ball back to Kavi. "Is my beautiful and enchanting voice distracting ya?" He spat into the ground. Though the spit-wad hung from his lips, instead of plopping into the sand. Mitts gave up and sucked the spit back up. Classic Mitts.

Kavi threw the ball a second time. "Oooo, strike two,"Mitts cackled. "Hey, one more strike and you're outta here." He tossed the ball back to Kavi, giving the boy a thumbs up. "You're doin' great, Singer." Kavi tipped his hat, pounding the ball into his mitt. "Gotta watch those curve balls, Dougie, Singer's gotta a real pro arm." Doug responded with a withering glare as the three outfielders, Marco Luis, Jimmy Smalls, and Levy Richards moved positions.

The blond lifted the bat, eyes completely focused on Kavi and the ball in his hand. "Hey, Singer,"Mitts called, grinning widely. "What do you get with four eyes and buck teeth-" Doug ignored the catcher, expertly. "You wanna take a wild guess?" Doug squinted his eyes, digging his foot into the ground. "No? Beaver."

"Dude,"Beaver shouted, flipping Mitts off at first base. Mitts just laughed. "I'm gonna get braces in a month."

"Whatever, Beavs,"Mitts responded. "You gotta admit it was a pretty good joke."

"Yeah, it was pretty good,"Beaver agreed with a breathy laugh, though it sounded more like a wheeze. Kavi threw the ball and Doug smacked it out of the park. Levy and Marco chased after it as Doug took off feet pounding into the ground. Marco was the one who got it first. Doug's foot hit first base as he turned, heading for second.

"Kavi,"Marco shouted, throwing the baseball. Kavi ran forward, catching the ball and just in time threw it to Tony.

"You're out!" Mitts shouted, pointing a thumb towards the gate. Doug grumbled, brushing the sand off his pants. "You're turn to bat, Singer." Kavi patted Doug's shoulder, handing him the mitt and ball as he jogged forward to the discarded bat.

Scottie Walsh at third, hooted and hollered as Levy and Marco backed up slightly. They all knew Kavi had a powerful swing. The kid would definitely go pro.

Kavi tapped the bat before squatting and feeling the weight of the bat in his hands. "You know, Singer,"Mitts started up his harassment as catcher. "You just materialized out of thin air one day." Mitts threw out his hands. "Poof, suddenly you were there, pro of the little league team. Nobody knew where you came from, how you got here-" Doug threw the ball, Kavi hit it. The ball smacked the fence. "Foul!" Kavi rolled his eyes, pulling at his hat. "Too bad." Mitts shrugged. "I've gotta admit though, I've always been kinda curious about your origins-"

"I told ya,"Kavi stated. "Bobby adopted me." He stepped out of the way as Doug threw a foul ball. Mitts announced the foul throw.

"Yeah,"Mitts stated, holding out his mitt. "But, why? Bobby Singer was the town's hermit. The drunk. Why'd he suddenly decide to adopt you and those other two?" Kavi shrugged. He had no way of explaining his past to Mitts. His past was a shit-hole and a half. A nightmare that would have the other boy reeling. Terrified.

"My first home burned,"Kavi stated. "I ran and Bobby took me and mine in. Simple as that." Not that simple actually and a little out of order. But, who needed details. Mitts rolled his eyes before shouting. "Hey, Doug, why don't ya throw the ball already? We ain't gettin' younger." The other boys hooted and hollered as they teased the tall blond, who expertly ignored the harassment.

Kavi grinned as Doug huffed, stretching out his arm and lifting his leg. This would be a strong throw. He could tell. Kavi grinned like the cat about to catch the mouse. Cleated feet grounded into the sand.

"Hey, your shoelaces undone,"Mitts teased.

"Nice try,"Kavi quipped, just as the ball was thrown and his bat smashed into the ball sending it flying. He ran. Feet pounding against the dirt. His foot landed on the white base as he turned with the grace of a feline and raced towards second. His mind focused on not blurring in front of the neighborhood kids. He didn't want his friends to find out about his secret. With them, he was a kid. A baseball playing guru who could bring the team to states. He didn't want to become the town's freak because of a simple slip-up.

His feet pounded into third, just as Marco swore. The ball had gone over the fence. Kavi grinned. Home-run. He slid into home base, highfiving a cheerful Mitts. Beaver jumped, throwing a fist into the air.

"That's our boy, Singer,"Mitts shouted, slapping a hefty palm against Kavi's back. "Most badass batter and pitcher ever!" Jimmy and Levy were climbing the fence to retrieve the ball.

"Holy shit!" The group of boys turned their heads to Levy, who was climbing back over. The ball was in his hands. "He smashed the ball like a pinata!"

"No way!" The boys went racing towards Levy, leaving Kavi behind who followed them with an easy saunter.

"It completely cracked!"Beaver shouted as each boy tried to grab the deformed baseball from Levy's hands.

"This is nuts,"Jimmy stated, staring at the ball with the material popping out. "The stitchin' is completely undone."

"Shit, Singer,"Mitts stated. "How hard did ya hit the damn thing?" Hard enough to crack Lydecker's head wide-open. Yeah, he was probably thinking of Manticore when the ball came flying at him. Lydecker's face scowling right back at him as the ball approached the bat. The ball bore every ounce of hurt he felt because of that place.

"Shit,"Kavi stated, playing along. "Guess I didn't know my own strength."

"Hope that wasn't my face you were thinkin' of,"Mitts stated, swiping off his cap and rubbing the sweat from his brow. "Feel slightly sorry for the bastard who double-crossed you." It was a common game among the group of boys to think of somebody they strongly disliked and picture their faces on the baseball. It relieved a lot of anger and tension among the group. Nobody admitted the names, unless they wanted too.

"Guess we can't play ball no more," Doug grumbled, resignedly.

"Ya think,"Mitts stated as he held the busted ball in his hands.

"Maybe, we can do something else,"Beaver suggested, rocking on his heels. "We could go to the pool."

"The pool,"the group of boys protested. Mitts tossed the ball to Kavi.

"No way,"Mitts stated, shaking his head.

"The only reason we'd go is because of your crush,"Tony stated, nudging Beaver.

"Cindy Pendleton,"Levy cooed, mocking Beaver. Beaver shoved him. Levy shoved back, laughing.

"She's like fifteen,"Jimmy stated, sweat glistening off mocha skin. It was ridiculously hot with the sun beating down on them. "You're like eleven."

"It ain't happenin', Beavs," Kavi stated, swiping the sweat from his forehead. Maybe, swimming wouldn't be such a bad idea.

"You'll see,"Beaver stated, pushing up his glasses. "Cindy and I, we're gonna get married-"

"Have seven kids," Tony teased, having heard the speech before.

"With a white picket fence and a dog,"Doug added, pinching the smaller boy's ear. Beaver, unfortunately, hadn't started his growth spurt.

"Don't forget the nine ta five job,"Scottie added with a laugh.

"I'm a realist,"Beaver protested, earning another round of laughs.

"We've heard it before,"Marco stated, grabbing his gear. The game was over, thanks to Kavi. Beaver huffed, crossing his arms.

"Go ahead and laugh,"Beaver stated, picking up his discarded mitt. "It will happen, you'll see-" Kavi rolled his eyes, chuckling at Beaver's insistence. "A man-"

The group of boys interrupted by shouting, "A man?!"

"Where's your hair,"Mitts teased, poking at Beaver's skinny hairless arms. "If I ain't got chest hair neither do you. Hey, Singer, Do you have chest hair?!"

"Nah, man," Kavi responded, grinning. "Well, maybe one."

"One?!" Mitts shouted. "Holy crap on a taco, somebody call the news, we've got a singular chest hair over here." He moved over to Kavi. "I gotta see this." Kavi shoved Mitts away and the boy laughed, as they continued to egg each other on.

"Grow your own hair,"Kavi quipped, covering his chest. "And leave mine alone." Mitts slung an arm over Kavi's shoulder, leading the group of boys out of the sandlot.

"I'm telling you guys,"Beaver protested. "A man can't handle all that-"

"Oiling and lotioning,"Mitts and Kavi said at the same time in simpering voices. "Oiling and lotioning." The boys cackled at Beaver's expense.

"Hey, Beaver,"Doug stated, looking over at his friend. "Let's make a bet-" Beaver raised a brow, intrigued. "If you marry Cindy Pendleton, I'll give ya twenty bucks. If you don't, you'll give me twenty bucks. Deal?"

Beaver grinned, spitting into his hand and slapping it into Doug's. "Deal,"Beaver responded, confidently. "You're losin' twenty bucks in the future, my friend." The boys howled in laughter at the ridiculous deal. Who knows, maybe Beaver would marry Cindy in the future. That would be a sight to see.

"I've got an idea,"Tony stated, dragging the bat along. "The tree-house, tonight. We can stock up on junk food." There was a round of agreement as the boys decided on the new plan.

"We can tell scary stories," Scottie stated with a nod of agreement from Marco and Jimmy.

"Make s'mores," Mitts suggested, licking his lips. His stomach grumbled from the sudden thought of the tasty treat.

"S'more what?"Kavi asked, furrowing his brows. The group of boys paused, staring startled at their new friend.

"You serious?"Doug questioned. Kavi stared at the taller boy, trying to figure out the encrypted message. Seriously, what did they need more of?

"The delicious melted treat," Beaver explained. Kavi's brows just furrowed, crossing his arms. He had no idea what they were talking about.

"You take the graham, then you take the melted 'mellow,"Mitts explained, staring at the boy. "You put the 'mellow on the graham, adding a delicious piece of Hershey's chocolate to finish it off. You dig?"

Kavi shook his head, having never heard about a s'more before. "Not really,"Kavi stated.

Mitts facepalmed himself. "You're killin' me, Singer,"he cried. He stared at the group of boys. "Alright, we're doin' Martinez's plan. Singer's gonna have his first s'more tonight." Kavi couldn't help the excitement that spread across his face as the boys figured out the junk foods they would need for camping in Tony's tree-house.

"I can't believe 'ol Bobby's never introduced you to s'mores," Doug stated. "It's a real crime." They closed the gate to the sandlot as they headed off to their next summer adventure.


	11. The Parent Trap: Part 1

**Hey everyone, thanks for waiting patiently. I had a ridiculously busy quarter which is the reason for no updates. Thanks for reading and I apologize for any grammatical errors.**

The Parent Trap: part 1

"Code blue, code blue,"Sammi shouted, as she barged into the room Lucy and Max shared at Joann's apartment. The two girl's glanced up from the project they were working on. Lucy had brought out the glitter and glue and was currently making a sparkly mess on the bedroom floor. They immediately recognized the urgency in Sammi's eyes.

"What's wrong, Sammi?" Lucy asked. She hadn't seen Sammi all day. The girl tended to switch between Joann's apartment and Brian Guevera's down the street. She couldn't choose who she wanted to live with, so she consistently migrated between the two homes.

"It's an emergency," the girl stressed. Her mouth hanging open in silent horror. Max gesticulated, quietly telling her twin to explain the emergency. "Brian is falling in love with another woman."

"No,"Lucy exclaimed, jumping to her feet. Max was right behind her as they circled Sammi, wanting answers. "How do you know?!" The girl's had been scheming for a way to get their two parental guardians together for quite some time. Lucy had explained that Brian and her mom were practically soul-mates and needed to be together immediately. Max and Sammi had quickly jumped onto the shipping bandwagon, wanting to complete their little family, just like in the movies. This revelation had put a wrench in their plans.

"He's going on a second date with _her,_ " Sammi hissed, eyes glaring. Her job had been to keep tabs on Brian and report back to her sisters. She had done her job and was beyond annoyed by the bad news. Lucy and Max had tried to convince Joann to pursue the younger hunter, but Lucy's mother just kept refuting the idea, saying she was happy being single.

"Who is she?"Max asked. Sammi huffed, crossing her arms, as she tapped her little foot in irritation.

"Some lady named Meredith Monroe,"Sammi answered with a glare. "Blonde bimbo of the year. She's got her meaty claws all over Brian. The witch is ruining everything."

"This is a disaster,"Lucy moaned, falling into her bed and slinging an arm over her forehead. After all their hard work and careful planting, one woman had destroyed their carefully designed plan A. Plan A, was the plan that forced Brian and Joann to sit next to each other at dinner. Plan A was the plan that forced Brian and Joann to drive with each other as they took the girls out. Plan A was forced walks as Sammi pulled their hands together or Max purposely bumped into Joann, so that she would fall into Brian's arms and fall immediately in love. Plan A wasn't working because Joann was afraid to fall in love again because of Jack. Because Lucy's abusive father was a dickhead that ruined her mother's image of all men. Lucy just wanted her mother happy and loved. Lucy wanted a father she could call a dad.

"Tell me about it,"Sammi sighed, sitting next to Lucy and crossing her legs, daintily. "She doesn't even like kids." She was dressed in a long dress that was covering her swimsuit. Her wet short hair was pulled back in a clip. Pink sunglasses sat on her head, evident that she had been swimming at the local pool.

"You met her,"Max asked, curiosity peaked.

"Yeah,"Sammi answered. "Just now." A smile curved her lips. "I purposefully splashed her when I did a cannonball into the pool." Max and Lucy giggled at the girl's mischievous look. But Sammi's features quickly darkened. "She wants to marry him or something. That just can't happen! It ruins our plans!"

"We need to do something,"Lucy agreed, shaking her head. The woman sounded like a viper. She hadn't even met her yet, but that's how she sounded.

"She's evil,"Sammi stated. "I can tell. Probably wants Brian's money or something...Or she's a monster." Her being a monster was a greater possibility, considering the world they lived in. Brian didn't have enough money to attract a gold-digger. But, his high status in the hunter community might attract a monster, who could put him under a spell. Brian was way to lovey-dovey with the blond bitch. Couldn't she tell he needed to be with someone else? Specifically Joanne.

"We need to strike aggressively,"Max stated. They hadn't been aggressive enough. Hadn't left enough bread crumbs. They were the two most oblivious adults she had ever met.

"Let's make Meredith disappear,"Sammi growled. The two girls glanced at the normally sunshiny twin. The death threat had been a shock coming from her mouth. Normally, that was Max.

"I have a plan,"Lucy and Max stated at the same time. The two girls glanced at each other, a smile curving their mouths.

"The parent trap,"Max stated.

"Perfect,"Lucy responded, happily. "Exactly, what I was thinking." Max shrugged.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures,"Max agreed. Their gaze turned towards Sammi. "We have a plan."

"What plan?"Sammi asked, intrigued. The sooner they could get rid of Meredith, the better.

"Do you remember the movie we watch a couple months ago,"Max asked, pulling candy from underneath her bed. If they were going to plan the downfall of a woman, they needed candy and lots of it. She passed out the sweets. "About the twins." Sammi nodded. "We're gonna parent trap Joann and Brian and remove Meredith from the picture."

The girls gathered as they snacked on candy, coming up with a plan.

"I'm gonna do a bit of research,"Sammi stated, throwing away the box of M&Ms. "I'm pretty sure she's a monster. She just came into his life like yesterday and he's head over heels for her. It's disgusting." She sneered. "All I hear is Meredith this and Meredith that...blah blah blah blah." She blew a raspberry, expressing her annoyance. "He's under a spell, I know it."

"Then you research,"Max decided. Sammi nodded as Lucy handed over her laptop. She immediately started typing away. "Lucy, you talk to your Mom. I'm gonna spy on Meredith." She ran towards the window, pulling it open. Her eyes focused on the pool across the street. The same pool Sammi had just come from. Her eyes immediately spotted a blond woman laughing, a giant white sunhat on her head, as she sat on Brian's lap, playing with his lapel. She leaned forward, kissing him passionately. Max blanched, disgusted by the public display of affection. Meredith needed to go.

* * *

Sammi entered the two room apartment. Her swim bag slung over her shoulder.

"Hey, sweetheart." Her gaze shot towards her adopted father, who was currently sitting at the kitchen table. She could see the post-lust in his eyes. She snarled, knowing the woman definitely had a spell on the hunter. His curly hair was mussed by gnarly fingers of a witch that was wedging herself into their lives. "Spending time with Max and Lucy?" Sammi shrugged, dumping the backpack on the floor. Her research neatly stuffed into her backpack for further investigation.

"Yup,"She responded, popping the p.

"You met Meredith, right?" Sammi rolled her eyes, unable to hide her disgust. She wasn't very good at lying. Meredith this, Meredith that. That's all she heard about. I met Meredith at the bar last night. Isn't she gorgeous? Wouldn't she make a wonderful mother? I think I'm in love...blah blah blah...Sammi couldn't take it anymore. She just met the woman. "I think I'm going to marry her."

Sammi's eyes bulged as she stared at her adopted father. "What?" She hissed. Her eyes narrowed, noticing the sweat that was beading from his temple. The pale tint to his normally tan skin. He didn't look great which only set Sammi's red flags off. She needed to further her research and bring up her new observations with her sisters.

"I'm gonna marry Meredith,"Brian repeated, watching his irate daughter with a quirk to his brow. "Sammi, are you alright?"

"You can't!"Sammi shouted. She threw her hands in the air, pacing back and forth as she shouted in several different languages. French, German, Russian, Japanese...any language that popped in her head as she lost her cool. He couldn't marry her. He just couldn't. The witch planted that thought in his head.

Brian stood to his feet, moving towards the angered transgenic. He placed gentle hands on her shoulders, turning the girl around. "Sammi,"he stated, shaking the girl slightly. The girl's brown orbs shot over to his own. "Calm down." Sammi shut her mouth with a click of her teeth, though the glare never wavered. Brian raised an amused brow. "Were you yelling at me in french?"

Sammi shrugged. "And Russian,"she stated. "German too-"And a few other languages. She had just been so mad. They were so close and now he was bringing up marrying the wrong woman. Brian chuckled, leaning back on his heels.

"What set you off, sweetheart?" Sammi rolled her eyes. Could he be this oblivious? Didn't he know they were trying so hard to complete their little family by making his friendship with Joann an official relationship?

"You can't marry Meredith,"she blurted, scratching her barcode.

"Why not?"Brian asked. He really couldn't see the issue here. Sammi was a hundred percent convinced that Meredith was a succubus or something. She just needed to get rid of the woman before her adoptive father deteriorated any further.

"Because you need to marry Joann." Ohhh, Max wouldn't be happy she'd let the plan slip early. Shoot, her and her big mouth.

"Joann?"Brian chuckled, brushing hair away from the girl's cheek. The little girl he had rescued from Manticore. The little girl that had become the closest thing to a daughter. His daughter. He would never forget the day when he swooped her up in his arms and took her away from that terrible place. His Sammi. Two peas in a pod.

"Yes,"Sammi stressed, hopeful. She noticed the spark in his eyes when the woman's name was mentioned. The small quirk to his lips. The flutter to his heart. The spell definitely wasn't stronger than true love.

"We're just friends." Sammi's face fell and she was prepared to beat her head against a wall until her brain fell out. She was beyond frustrated. Why were adults so hard to convince? She held her tongue, resisting the urge to shout at him in a dozen different languages again. She wanted to explain that they were more than that, but she knew her words would be met by deaf ears. The only woman on his mind was Meredith.

"Fine,"she seethed. She picked up her bag, stomping out of the living room, ignoring her adopted father's confused glances. She slammed her bedroom door shut, hopping onto her bed. She grabbed her phone, dialing her twin's number.

" _What?"_ Max answered, grumpily. Sammi rolled her eyes, crossing her legs.

" _It's an absolute disaster,"_ she exclaimed, dramatically. Max didn't answer immediately and Sammi huffed. The nerve of her twin. _"Get Lucy on the phone."_ She heard Max yell 'Lucy!' and a second voice came on.

" _What's the matter,"_ Lucy asked, immediately knowing an issue was midst.

"He's getting married,"She answered. Lucy gave the expected gasp, but Max just muttered, 'Oh, brother-'. Sammi chose to ignore her twin. "He's lost his mind completely. He doesn't even know this woman and he's acting like he's under some...some enchantment!"

" _Enchantment,"_ Max hummed. _"You need to get over here, ASAP. Lucy and I...we think we found something."_

" _It's really important,"_ Lucy stressed. _"We talked to Alec and Ben and they sent us a bunch of information about what Meredith might be."_ Max grunted her agreement. Currently, the twins were traveling across America with their uncle Sam and father. Once in a while, Ben would send an email updating the three girls on their adventures. In Sammi's opinion, they were so lucky that their family was nomadic. Everyday was an adventure for them. So, if Ben and Alec claim they had information, she'd put her trust in the twin Winchesters.

"Got it,"Sammi chirped. "I'll be there in a jiffy." She hung-up the phone, rolling off her bed and climbing out her bedroom window. She sent out a quiet apology to her adopted father and promised him that he would be saved.

* * *

A pile of books dropped in front of her as Lucy unloaded her backpack. Joann was gone, working a shift at the local diner a few blocks away from their apartment. The laptop was on, Max was flicking through Ben's email.

"I got some books at the library,"Lucy stated, passing Sammi a fat book on Celtic lore.

"Some?"the girl responded, lifting a brow. Lucy was still unpacking books.

"Yeah,"Lucy stated, missing the tease. "I kept getting funny looks from the Librarian though." She wrinkled her nose. "I think she thought I was some new satanist or something."

"Would this be the reason?" Sammi joked, holding up the leather bound book with ancient writing on the cover.

Lucy shrugged. "Probably." She snagged the book out of Sammi's hand, before handing over the package of oreos.

"Listen up, guys,"Max interrupted, brows furrowed in concentration. She sat up, back straight. "Ben just got back to me. He said he talked to his Dad and Dean thinks the monster sounds like a Siren."

"A siren?"Sammi questioned, nibbling on the cookie.

"Like the lore?" Lucy asked. Max nodded, handing the laptop over.

"Apparently Dean and Sam dealt with one a while back,"Max continued, crossing her arms. "It takes different forms, hypnotizing the victim, and then-" she let her sentence hang for a second to build up the tension. "it convinces them to kill the ones they love to prove devotion."

"Oh God,"Lucy exclaimed, pressing a hand to her mouth. This was very bad. Horribly bad. The type of bad that would enchant Brian to kill them all because they were his family. "That's horrible." Lucy started flipping through one of the books, looking for the section on Sirens.

"How do we kill it,"Sammi, immediately, asked. She was a hundred percent sure that Meredith wasn't human. That Meredith was quite possibly a Siren. Yeah, maybe Brian hadn't tried to kill her yet, but the monster was probably biding her time. Well, Meredith had definitely chosen the wrong family to mess with.

"Bronze knife dipped in the blood of its victim,"Lucy and Max stated at once. Both girls glanced up, shooting each other a look. Lucy slammed the book shut and Max closed the laptop.

"Well, I guess we gotta stab Brian," Max stated, stretching her limbs. Lucy nodded, solemnly.

"I bet Bobby has a bronze knife,"Lucy added. "I'll ride my bike to his place and check."

"He'll question you,"Sammi pointed out. Lucy shrugged, they needed a knife. "Also, I'll get Brian's blood." She turned to Max, crossing her arms. "I live with him and I can create an accident that would definitely shed blood." She already had a plan afoot, though she really hoped her plan wouldn't get her kicked out. Being a hunter was tricky. Max nodded her agreement.

"We'll need to stab Meredith,"Max added.

Lucy gulped. "Are we definitely sure she's a siren,"Lucy asked. "One hundred percent positive?"

"I'm sure," Sammi stated.

"I just don't want to accidentally murder some woman because she happens to be a bitch,"Lucy stated. "Is there a way to check?"

"Mirror reflections,"Max stated. "Mirrors show its true form." Lucy stood to her feet, making her way towards the drawer. She pulled it open, handing Sammi a mirror.

"Here,"Lucy stated. "Next time you see her use this to get proof." Sammi nodded, taking the mirror.

"I'll get Brian's blood,"Sammi promised, making her way out of the room. "I'm gonna protect him no matter what."

* * *

She came over in all her sultry glory. Swaying her hips, she looped her arms around Brian's neck, planting a possessive kiss on his lips. Sammi nearly gagged, ignoring the fake display of affection. Making face in the mirror, she lifted it higher, trying to catch an image of Meredith. Both Brian and Meredith paid little attention to her. Big mistake on Meredith's part because she got the proof she needed. What looked back at her wasn't a pretty blond. Oh no, it was the most hideous deformed creature she had ever seen in her life. She wanted to barf as its tongue graced Brian's neck and leathery body twisted around his own. She could hear it whispering to him, telling him a plan that she couldn't pick out. She was terrified. She tossed the mirror onto the couch, standing to her feet. In pretend childish glee, she raced towards Brian, pricking him with the scissors in her hands. Immediately blood gushed and he yelped in surprise, pulling away from the monster.

"Sammi,"he hissed. "What the hell?"

She gasped, grabbing his hand. "I'm so sorry,"she cried, pressing her hand over the wound. The blood gushed into the napkin in her other hand. "I was doing an art project and I forgot scissors. The scissors...I didn't mean to stab you." She willed up some tears, bottom lip jutted in guilt. "Let me help you." What she was doing was risky, but Brian was in trouble and the monster was miffed. All she needed was the bronze knife and she could finish the creature off.

"It's alright, Sammi,"Brian reassured the distressed girl. "I'm alright." He allowed the little girl to drag him into the bathroom, sending reassurance to 'Meredith'. Meredith plopped into the seat annoyed. Sammi couldn't figure out her angle.

He hissed as she wiped up the gushing blood, wrapping gauze around the wound. She kept apologizing. That would be enough blood.

"What's up with you lately,"Brian grumbled, rubbing a hand over the now bandaged wound.

"Nothing,"She chirped. "Just an accident. I forgot my training that's all." She didn't miss the wince that passed Brian's face at the implication of Manticore. Manticore would always be a nightmare to the hunter. Manticore would always be her childhood. "I got excited about my art project and I forgot about the no running with scissors rule." Brian chuckled, sweeping a hand through her hair and ruffling.

"Alright,"He stated. He sounded tired as if the Siren's manipulation was taking an unknown toll on his psyche. It was strange to her. He seemed normal most times, but then something would trigger and he would lose his Brianness. "We're going over to Joann's place tonight." Sammi raised a brow, curiously. "It was Meredith's idea-" Sammi gulped. She needed to get the blood to her twin and Lucy quickly. "She wants to meet you all."

"She does,"Sammi questioned, meekily. Brian nodded, again, eyes growing heavy as his head quirked to the side.

"She wants to be part of the family,"Brian stated. "Till death do us part." Shit. Sammi clutched the bloody napkin, taking a step back.

"That's sweet,"Sammi answered with a nervous giggle. Her eyes shot over towards the blond siren. "I should go-" Brian raised a brow. "Joann will need help preparing food." She needed to talk to Max and Lucy. They needed a plan. Brian nodded, just as Sammi darted out of the bathroom and towards the front door. She avoided the approaching threat as Meredith stood to her feet to block her escape. But, she was an x5 and x5s were damn fast. She was gone before Meredith could suggest otherwise.

* * *

"Hello, Sammi," Joann greeted, unloading groceries onto the counter. Sammi slid to a stop, immediately spotting Lucy and Max in the dining room. "You're early. Brian said he's bringing over a...friend for dinner-"

"Joann,"Sammi interrupted, brown eyes urgent. "You have to listen to me." The mother turned, staring at the desperate girl.

"Brian's friend is no friend,"she insisted. "Meredith is a monster." Joann's lips quirked in amusement. "I mean it! She's a monster. A siren."

"You got proof?"Lucy asked. Sammi nodded, immediately handing the bloody napkin over to Lucy.

"Twisted and ugly,"Sammi confirmed.

Lucy took the napkin, before heading to her room to soak the knife in blood.

"Sammi,"Joann drawled, crossing her arms. "I understand you girls have been-"

"This isn't even about getting you and Brian together,"Sammi snapped. "This is about saving his life from a siren, who plans to use him to kill us all and feed off his violence and misery!" Joann stepped back from the little girl as she huffed out a heavy breath.

"That freaky, huh,"Max asked. Sammi nodded.

"We need to stop her Max,"she replied. "I have a bad feeling about this visitation. We need to be on our A-game. We need to be ready. Put our training to use-"

"I have a plan,"Max stated, just as Lucy emerged from her room with the now bloody bronze knife.

"I hope this will work,"Lucy stated, worried.

"Girls,"Joann barked, staring down the three girls and eyeing the knife, warily. "One of you has to tell me what is going on."

Immediately, all three explained the situation that they had been dealing with since this morning. No longer was this a playful parent trap idea, now this was survival. Making sure everyone lived and one grotesque monster died.

* * *

Joann jumped, hands clammy, as the door rattled from the knock. She could hear a woman giggling as the door rapped again.

"Be brave, Jo,"Joann muttered, standing up. The three girls were in the kitchen as they prepared both meal and plan. This was the first time she had ever dealt with a monster. She had reasons to believe her three girls. They didn't often fib about situations like this. After hearing their tale, she had felt a pit form in her stomach. She wasn't ready for this. She wasn't ready to fight a man, who she lo...valued friendship.

The minute she opened the door, she could tell something was off about Brian. His eyes were glazed and dull, unlike his normally calculating and kind dark eyes. The blond possessively hung from his neck, smiling seductively. The girls appeared from around the corner.

"My,"she purred, pressing her lips to his cheek. "You didn't tell me Sammi had a twin." Sammi moved closer to Max. Max's jaw ticked. "How delicious."

"You must be Meredith,"Joann greeted. "Come in and make yourself comfortable." The pit dropped further as the monster dragged Brian into the room. Her eyes darting around the interior.

"Meredith is an interior designer,"Brian stated, tugging the monster closer. Meredith giggled."She just enchanted me the moment I laid eyes on her." Joann felt a clot tighten her throat at his words.

"Oh, Brian,"Meredith giggled, sending a threatening glare at Sammi. The girl returned it with her own hollow stare. She was onto her. Sammi just knew it.

"Dinner's almost ready,"Joann stated, waving her hand forward. She was an idiot for letting a monster into the house, but she had to trust her girls. Her girls had a plan.

* * *

They sat at the dinner table. A chicken dinner in front of them. The woman giggled, batting at Brian's chest. She kept leaning forward and whispering in his ear. Lucy sat next to Joann, the knife in her hand. They were ready. Meredith sent them a small smirk and both Sammi and Max heard loud and clear the next whisper.

"If you want me,"she whispered, placing a kiss on his cheek. "Kill them." Sammi could sense the hesitation in Brian as he tried to fight off the order. But the Siren's poison was stronger as he stood to his feet, holding a steak knife with a quivering hand. The siren sat back and everyone jumped into action.

Max and Sammi immediately slammed their feet into Brian's chest, sending the hunter backwards. The siren screamed, realizing the girls weren't completely human as they leapt over the table. Sammi held Brian back, avoiding the knife as Max leapt onto Meredith's back, putting her into a choke-hold. Lucy and Joann teamed up as Lucy helped Max hold down Meredith and Joann took the knife from her daughter.

"You're going to be alright, Brian," Joann promised, lifting the knife. Meredith broke free, immediately, grabbing Max and Lucy's necks and holding them up. Her body shapeshifted from the beautiful blonde to a grotesque figure. Sammi was thrown off of Brian, the moment she let her guard down.

"Move,"Meredith hissed. "And the girls die." Joann gritted her teeth, just as she was tackled to the floor by Brian. She slammed a fist into Brian's jaw, refusing to be a victim again. She had her daughters to protect. Sammi ran forward, just as Max twisted out of Meredith's grip, kicking the siren in the face. The siren cried out,releasing Lucy who rolled away.

Joann kicked Brian off, just as Max tackled the siren, slamming her fist into the monster's face over and over again. Sammi took the opportunity to pin Brian. She was much stronger than the hunter and Brian couldn't get up or escape her strong grip once she had her hold.

Joann rolled to her feet, picking up the discarded knife. She ran forward, plunging the knife into the siren's heart. The siren screamed, struggling against the bronze knife dipped in blood. It threw its head back, twisting and curling around the knife. Dead. Joann released a heavy sigh of relief, falling to the floor. Max and Lucy release their hold, breaths heavy with exertion.

"What...what happened?"Brian asked, eyes dazed. Sammi launched forward, arms wrapped around Brian's neck.

"You're alright,"she whispered, squeezing his eyes shut. The spell was broken. Lucy and Max quickly piled into his arms. He tugged them close.

"It was a siren,"Max explained.

"She put a spell on you,"Sammi stated.

"Mom killed it,"Lucy added. Brian glanced up, eyes studying the petite brunette. His eyes spotted the corpse on the ground.

"You weren't yourself,"Joann said. "The girls noticed."

"You wanted to marry her, only after meeting her the night before,"Sammi explained. "It just wasn't you."

"What did she want,"Joann asked, crossing her arms distressed. She didn't know what to do with the body. She knew the commotion would bring forth law enforcement.

Brian shrugged, standing to his feet. The three girls released him. "I don't know. Sirens occasionally plays with their victims before the kill order." He leaned down, gently checking each girl before making his way to Joann. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

He reached a hand towards Joann, pulling her close. He spotted the bruise on her arms. "I did hurt you,"he mumbled in distress, gently running fingers across the bruise. He had been hunting the siren the night before. He just didn't expect the tables to turn on him so quickly. He was tricked by a beautiful blonde and didn't even suspect her to be the siren, until unbeknownst to him, she doused his drink with her venom. He felt like an idiot for the simple trick. An idiot that endangered his entire family.

Sometimes he had been aware, especially when he was with Sammi. Other times his mind had been cloudy. Venom racing through his veins as he listened to the siren's whispers. Guilt festered in his stomach due to the close encounter of nearly killing his family.

"I'm alright,"Joann answered. "I gave just as good as I got." she pointed at the bruise that swelled his cheek.

"You did,"Brian agreed. Hand lingering near the second bruise on Joann's cheek. "I never wanted to hurt you. Any of you. Ever." Joann moved closer, resolve crumbling. She wrapped her arms around Brian's waist.

"You didn't,"she reassured. He didn't have control. He was manipulated. Under a spell. He wasn't like her ex-husband. Brian was a good man. "She did." Her eyes glanced at the body. "What are we going to do with it?"

Brian frowned, eyes cold. His girls had done enough. He had wanted to shield Max, Lucy, and Sammi from this life. But, this life seemed to rear its ugly head during the most inopportune times. His family...his girls didn't need this life. They didn't need him bringing the hunt home.

"I'll take care of it,"Brian promised.

"I'll help,"Sammi offered. Brian shook his head.

"No,"he said. "I want you to stay here." He pulled away from Joann, eyes guilty. The girls were about to argue, but Brian shook his head. "I don't want this life for you." He was exhausted, drained. The monster had done a number on him. "I'll be back."

His gaze landed on Joann. She looked overwhelmed and exhausted. Hunting did that to a person. He leaned forward, giving her a peck near her mouth. He rested his forehead against hers. "You'll be alright." He took her hand into his own. "I promise." Joann returned the kiss, stepping back. She smiled, meekly. Brian pressed a kiss to each girls' forehead, apologizing. He lifted the monster, tossing the siren over his shoulder. He'd burn it outside of the city.

He smiled at the four ladies in his life before making his way out of the apartment, monster in tow. He knew Joann would call Jody to assure the sheriff that the commotion was a supernatural monster and the issue had been dealt with.

The door closed and Sammi fell back against the wall, sitting between Lucy and Max. the girls were staring off into the distance, shocked by the outcome of the night. What started off as a fun parent trap idea, turned quickly into a monster hunt. They couldn't completely wrap their brains around the progress of their day.

"Well,"Sammi sighed, tucking her chin into her drawn knees. "I guess the parent trap plan sort of worked." Her two sisters looked at her strangely. The parent trap plan had been dropped the moment Meredith revealed herself to be a siren.

"What?"Max questioned, giving Sammi a strange look.

"They sort of confessed their feelings for each other,"Sammi noted.

Max shook her head. "That's called shock,"Max grumbled. She'd be happy never seeing another siren again. She couldn't understand how Ben and Alec could base their whole lives around hunting monsters. It was exhausting.

"They did kiss,"Lucy added. She should be more upset about the death that happened in her home. She just felt numb as she listened to her mother talk to Sheriff Jody. What the hell had she become?

"Next plan will work out better,"Sammi agreed.

"Next plan better not involve monsters,"Max huffed. The girls nodded in agreement. All three knew they would be going to sleep with the grotesque vision of a siren in their minds.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading. Sorry for the long update. I'll be working on Bloodlines. This story was supposed to be posted weeks ago. I also know it got a bit weird, lol. Obviously, I couldn't write a parent trap story without a monster. I wasn't even expecting the outcomes. Life as a hunter, I guess. Please review.**


	12. Forever Family

**Hi everyone, thanks for reading the stories in this universe and enjoying. I apologize for any grammatical errors, I don't have a beta reader! Please review!**

Forever Family

Standing near the bedroom door, Jo watched as the two girls in her care pulled the bed covers back and grabbed the chosen toys they slept with during the night. Baths were already had, teeth were already brushed, and pajamas were on. The room that Tinga and Vada shared was completely clean with every toy placed in the closet or toy bin. Bedtime had come.

A bear was tucked under Tinga's arm, while Vada held Stitch close to her chest. They were dressed in pink, purple, and blue plaid pajamas, Pjs that the two girls had chosen a while back when Jo had taken them shopping. They had been mesmerized by the bright colors. Colors that they hadn't seen before in Manticore.

The young hunter watched, arms crossed, and a smile flitting across her face . Tinga and Vada had only been with her for a few months now, but they had quickly adjusted to home life at the mansion as well as with Jo and her mother. They had fallen into an easy and happy routine which involved schooling, chores, and just being kids. The other younger children at the home had adapted to the new life just as quickly, enjoying the freedom they found on the grounds.

She pushed off the wall, moving towards the two girls that had joined the Harvelle family. "Bedtime,"she announced, moving towards Tinga first. The girl climbed into her bed, hidden beneath the purple sheets. She bent down, tucking Tinga into her covers, before planting a kiss on the girl's forehead. Tinga smiled satisfied by the motherly gesture, before rolling over to watch Jo perform the same behavior towards Vada.

When Jo went to tuck the girl in, Vada latched onto her neck, small arms wrapped tightly. Vada squeezed her eyes shut, breathing in her scent as if committing the smell to memory. The hunter raised a brow.

"What's wrong, Vada," Jo asked, blonde hair curtaining around herself and the nine-year old. Vada shrugged, still holding the hunter close. Tinga now sat up, observing her sister's strange behavior.

"Nothing,"Vada mumbled against Jo's neck. She pulled away, light brown eyes blinking up at her. "I just wanted to make sure this was real."

The hunter's throat clenched, tears filling up in her eyes. Her hands came forward as she brushed a loving thumb along the girl's cheek. A soft smile curved her lips as her thumb gently stroked Vada's cheek. "It's real,"she promised, voice wavering as she tried to get the emotional turmoil under control. She couldn't wait for the day the girls would feel comfortable demanding for ten more minutes of play time before bed. She couldn't wait for the day when Tinga and Vada felt comfortable enough to argue or fight in her presence. She couldn't wait for the day her girls felt completely and utterly safe with her. Where fear no longer lingered beneath the surface. "It will always be real. I promise." Vada sheepishly smiled back, as Jo ruffled the girl's wild mane of dark curls. She settled the girl back against the pillow before planting a kiss on her forehead. "Night." She stood, making her way towards the light switch next to the door.

"Wait," Vada exclaimed, sitting back up. Blue covers falling away from her shoulders and down towards her midsection. Jo startled, surprised by the girl's sudden outburst. A nervous blush pinked Vada's cheeks. The same sheepish look appearing on Tinga, who was now sitting up too.

"Yeah,"Jo inquired, looking at the two girls. Her eyes darted towards the nightlight in the corner of the room. "Would you like the nightlight?" That seemed like a reasonable question to Jo. She always wanted a nightlight when she was Vada and Tinga's age. The two girls shook their heads.

Vada glanced over at her, dark eyes round with hope. Tinga's expression matched Vada. "Can you read to us?" the girl asked quietly. Hope in her young voice. Both girls had been with Jo for a while now, but this was the first request to stay up longer she had received from either girl. A request that warmed her heart. Her bout of silence immediately made the child insecure and Vada attempted to back out of the childish request. "You don't have to if you don't want to. I get it if you want to be alone tonight since you've been around us all day and-"Her nervous ramble dropped off, eyes focused on the bedding as she played with the fuzzy purple blanket that laid over the comforter.

"We just saw this lady reading to her child on the tube today,"Tinga picked up, noticing her sister's sudden insecurity. "and we wanted to know what that was like since we've never-" she trailed off, embarrassed by her hope. Her eyes focused on the picture of a garden that hung in their room. "had a mother before." Again, Jo's heart broke for the two girls who lost their childhood to an evil government facility.

"We've never been read to either,"Vada finished, playing with Stitch's fur. "Please-" She looked up at Jo, hope in her eyes. "Will you read to us?" Jo smiled, nodding her head. She had never thought about reading to Vada and Tinga. She had never been a guardian before. This experience was all new to her. She had been incredibly busy trying to find children their forever homes, taking care of infants, and teaching. She had completely forgotten about these small familial moments that most children would take for granted. Small familial moments that Vada and Tinga would have never experienced before. Familial moments that they craved.

"Sure, I will,"She answered. She wiped at her eyes, attempting to will off the sudden lump in the back of her throat. She moved over towards Vada. "But, you're gonna have to scoot over, kiddo." Vada beamed, scooting over for Jo. The young hunter plopped down on the bed, moving closer to Vada before glancing over at Tinga. "Are you really gonna sit all the way over there while we read a good book, Tingy?" The girl held her breath, slowly scooting off her own bed. Jo rolled her eyes. "Come on." Tinga dashed, diving into the spot next to Jo. Jo chuckled, smoothing back the girl's hair. "Silly goose," she teased, bopping Tinga's nose. The girl giggled, burrowing further beneath the fuzzy blanket.

Vada was tucked into her right side. Tinga into her left. The girls snuggled closer, underneath the fluffy purple blanket on Vada's bed. Jo looked at the two girls that had joined her family and wormed their way quickly into her heart. They were special to her. All the children here were special to her, but there was something about Vada and Tinga that tugged at her heartstrings and made her soul soar. There was something about Vada and Tinga that made her breath catch when she thought they were in trouble. There was something about Vada and Tinga that made her heart swell with pride whenever their name's were mentioned in casual conversation. They made her care about people other than herself and her mother. Vada and Tinga had opened the gate's to the hunter's heart and marched right through. Jo didn't even know when these new feelings had bloomed.

"Any ideas?"Jo asked the two girls. The girls had gone quiet, just enjoying her company. They breathed in her scent, faces buried against her tank top cladded side. They shrugged not sure which tale they wanted to hear.

"Don't know,"Vada finally admitted, looking sheepish again. "We just wanted a story."

"Something about princesses and daring knights?"Jo asked. Vada and Tinga wrinkled their noses.

"No,"Tinga answered, horrified.

"All those stories have the princess being saved by a knight,"Vada stated.

"Girls don't need to be saved by boys,"Tinga explained, glancing up at Jo. Her finger was twirling around the hunter's blond locks.

"We can save ourselves,"Vada finished. "And because we're X5-"She sat up, brown eyes serious. "we'll even save the knight." Jo laughed, pulling the girl close.

"True,"Jo agreed. Her fingers played with Vada's hair. "Us girls don't need saving. We can take care of ourselves just fine." If Jo ever had daughters, she wanted to raise them strong and independent. Tinga and Vada were pretty close to daughters. She planned to raise them right. "What type of story do you want?" Jo knew she had a slew of books just waiting to be read. Maybe, she'd make it a habit to read to the girls. Hell, maybe all the children under her care currently would like a story once in a while.

"Something about finding a forever family,"Tinga requested with a blush. Again, Jo's eyes glistened as she fought back tears. Jo and Ellen had been planting the image of forever families in the kids' heads since the boarding home was up and running. It was a concept used in order to take away the fear that the Manticore children had about being separated. The promise of forever families had encouraged many children from X5 and younger to leave the boarding home and join their new homes. So far, many had ended up happy and loved and the concept of forever family had grown. Even the transhuman children discussed the concept of forever families with excitement and glee. It had become a widely used term in the home for peculiar children.

"I have the perfect story,"Jo stated, sitting up. She left the room for a moment, grabbing a book off the shelf. She quickly returned, book in hand, as she regained her spot between the girls. The girls glanced at the cover of the book curiously. A flying peach carried by seagulls illustrated the cover.

"James and the Giant Peach,"Tinga read, lifting her brows. She wrinkled her nose. "What is it about?"

"An orphan that finds his forever family with bugs,"Jo explained.

"Bugs,"Vada exclaimed, confused and slightly horrified. She couldn't believe the story that Jo chose.

"Hey,"Jo defended, ruffling the girl's hair. "It doesn't matter what they look like as long as they love you."

"Family don't end with blood,"Tinga reminded Vada. "That's what Ellen says." And Bobby, Jo thought with a smile, the origin of the popular saying. Vada nodded, pulling her knees up and taking a fetal form against Jo's side.

"I guess so,"Vada stated, still unsure. "But, bugs?!" Jo rolled her eyes, opening the book.

"Why don't I read the book," Jo suggested. "and you can make your judgments at the end." Vada nodded in agreement, scooting down further into the blanket.

"Fine,"Vada agreed with a wrinkle to her nose. "I'll try." She had never been a fan of the six legged. Heck, even the eight legged weren't even close to her favorite things in the world list.

Until he was four years old, James Henry Trotter had had a happy life," Jo started. The kids immediately snuggled closer, completely focused on the tale Jo was about to read. " He lived peacefully with his mother and father in a beautiful house by the sea."

Jo continued to read and the girls dabbled the tale with their own commentary. Asking questions about the evil aunts or making comparisons to Manticore. Tinga cheered when she heard about the brave, outsider bugs rescuing the boy. She compared them to Jo and Ellen, who were the first motherly figures the two girls had met.

As the tale wove, the door creaked and other children wandered in, immediately taking a seat on the beds or floor. Maggie laid on her belly, next to Jo's feet, with Nix beside her. It started off with the younger children, but soon the teenagers appeared just as curious about the story. None of them had been read to before. Many had received the new experience with glee.

Time ticked by and 9 o'clock quickly turned into 11 o'clock. Jo had thought she'd only read a couple chapters, but the children had begged her to continue. They enjoyed the impersonations she made for each character. With his knees to his chest, Mole sat on Tinga's bed, listening peacefully to the story about the odd, mismatched little family. Only one human and the rest insects, each from a different species.

Jo glanced up for a second, spotting her mother at the entrance of the room. She leaned against the frame, pride on her face as she listened to her daughter read. Jo quickly returned to the tale when Vada tugged at her arm, silently demanding her to continue the tale. Both girls had become fully absorbed in the book.

"And because so many of them were always begging him to tell and tell again the story of his adventures on the peach, he thought it would be nice if one day he sat down and wrote it as a book," Jo read. She yawned. Her hand came up to cover her mouth. Eyes squeezed shut and throat raw. "So he did. And that is what you have just finished reading." She yawned again, shutting the book.

Her eyes wandered over the sleeping children. Her mother had went to bed a while ago. It was late. The younger children had fallen asleep where they sat. Tinga breathed heavily against her side, hand clutching her shirt. Mole's head rested on Joshua's shoulder, snoring softly. Joshua's eyes had drifted shut near the end of the story. Isaac slept in his lap. She raised her brow, finally noticing the entire transhuman residence in Tinga and Vada's room. They had wanted a story too. Craved the bond they had been denied throughout their childhood. She shifted and Vada groaned, popping one eye open.

"I liked it,"Vada mumbled, sleepily. Jo grinned, stroking the girl's hair.

"I'm glad,"Jo whispered. Careful of Maggie and Nix at the end of the bed.

"He was accepted at the end,"Vada stated with a yawn. "Everyone loved him." She smiled sleepily, glancing up at Jo. "He found his forever family."

"He did,"Jo agreed.

"and they weren't the same,"Vada stated, brows wrinkling in thought. "They were all different. Different lives, Different creatures, but they came together and loved each other." She closed her eyes dreamily, a happy smile dancing on her lips. "Just like us."

"Just like us,"Jo agreed, rubbing at her eyes. She was exhausted and she knew it was nearing three. Not a long book, but reading for a few hours still made her throat sore. She should have stopped, but seeing the kids happy, she couldn't bare the thought of cutting story time short.

"Jo,"Vada whispered, glancing up at the blonde. Jo sleepily nodded her head, letting the child know that she was listening. "You're my forever family." Jo felt her breath catch in her throat. She glanced down at the sheepish girl, before burrowing her nose into the nine-year-old's hair.

"You're my forever family too,"Jo admitted, kissing Vada's forehead. The girl beamed, cheek resting against Jo's arm. They were all her forever family. Each child that stayed at the boarding home.

"Will you read to us tomorrow?"Vada asked, hopefully. "I like the way you read. The voices you make." Jo nodded her answer. Even though her throat went through voice acrobatics and was completely sore, she would read that way as long as her kids wanted it and were happy.

"Course I will,"Jo stated. She glanced at the time. "Though I may find a shorter book next time." For her voice's sake at least.

"Good,"Vada said with a yawn. The girl was tired and it was time for Jo to sleep. She doubted any of the transhumans would move from their spot tonight. They were out. Dead to the world. She kissed Vada, standing to her feet. She stealthily avoided the sleeping bodies as she bounced across the room. Tinga had rolled closer to Vada, wrapping her arms around her sister.

"Night, Kiddo,"Jo whispered, blowing a kiss playfully. Vada giggled, pretending to catch it. A game that Ellen had taught her a couple days ago.

"Night, Mama Jo,"she answered. She rolled to her side, immediately falling asleep. Jo stood at the doorway stunned. Eyes wide by the innocent words that left Vada's mouth. Those words had exposed what the kids longed for the most. A family. A forever family.

"Goodnight, Daughter Vada,"She murmured back. She turned off the light. A soft smile graced her lips as she headed to bed.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading this one-shot. Hope there was enough cuteness! Please review. I'll try to update more about other transgenics. We need to check out Zack and Krit's new life soon!**


	13. Farm Life

**Here's the next one-shot to Family Matters. I apologize for any grammatical errors. Unfortunately, I don't have a beta reader and all edits are done by me. Please review. I love reviews!**

Farm life

The Idaho sun beat down on Zack's shoulders as he plowed and sowed the soil on Irv Franklin's family farm. He wiped at his forehead, glancing over at his brother, Krit, who was busy planting seeds. The quaint white farmhouse with the wrap around deck, stood tall against the sky. An apple tree was planted beside it, red apples already ripening. Rolls of grassland surrounded them at all ends, completely isolating the farmhouse from society. The nearest town was a good ten miles from their new home on an agricultural landscape.

Irv had moved them to Idaho, after Christmas, to live with his mother and father. Two retired hunters, who had seen enough monsters and violence to last them a lifetime. They had bought the land before Irv was born, a safe haven away from the supernatural threats. There, they had made an honest living as farmers, selling their crops each year to local towns.

Marie and Jim Franklin had been ecstatic to let the two young boys live with them. They were getting older now and were in desperate need of able bodied young men willing to help them manage the farm, considering Irv often traveled for hunting purposes. They needed someone willing to help care for the farm even after they passed away. Irv had believed introducing the boys to his parents had been the best scenario for both situations. He still hunted, but he wanted to give the boys a chance of a normal life and freedom, before they were encouraged to make the decision to fight against the supernatural darkness. Living with his parents had given those boys that option.

Zack wiped the sweat from his brow, spotting Jim caring for the newly sprouted crops. Corn stood tall in the distance, followed by tomatoes and potatoes. Zack and Krit had been preparing the soil for the autumn crops, squash, pumpkins, gourds, etc... The older man stood up, cracking his back and swiping the sweat with a handkerchief.

The older man had taken both him and Krit into town yesterday to pick up the seeds and fertilizer that Jim had ordered over phone. It had been heavy lifting tossing the bags of fertilizer into the back of the truck. But, the hard work had been worth it when Jim had taken the boys out for burgers and milkshake in gratitude for their work. Zack smiled softly at the simple, fond memory.

"It's gettin' quite hot out here, huh, boys?"Jim inquired. Krit nodded, sweat beads rolling down his cheek and forehead.

"Yes, sir,"Zack responded, again wiping his face. He was covered in dirt and sweat, thanks to the farming life. He hated being hot. Part of the reason was his higher transgenic temperature. So, standing in the heat for long hours was misery in his opinion. The only reason, he wanted to be out here was for Jim. The kind old gentleman wouldn't be able to do all this work on his own.

"I say it's time for a break,"Jim stated, coughing into his hand. His cough was grisly and shallow again expressing the gray haired man's age. "Wouldn't do us any good gettin' heat stroke."

"No, it wouldn't,"Krit, quickly, agreed. Zack's brother had been itching for a break for a while now. He had taken a liking to lazing about, but come spring and summer they had been out in the field with Jim for hours every day. Before the field, they were taking care of the farm animals in the barnyard. Krit had milked the cows, while Zack collected chicken eggs for breakfast that morning.

Jim chuckled, checking his watch. He cracked his back, making his way over to the two boys. "Let's call it a day then,"he suggested. "It'll be too hot soon." He moved past the two transgenics, nodding his head towards the white farmhouse up ahead. "Come on. I'm sure Marie has some lemonade waitin' for us." Krit beamed, immediately blurring towards the house. Marie's lemonade was the best lemonade in Krit's opinion. Jim chuckled, patting Zack's back kindly.

"Always eager, that boy,"he joked as he watched Krit quickly discard the hoe in the garden shed and race up the stairs with Buster, the old English sheepdog, on his heels. Zack nodded, allowing the older man to guide him.

"That's Krit for you,"Zack responded, brushing his blonde hair out of his eyes. It was damn hot and he considered running right after his brother, before Krit downed all the lemonade. Jim chuckled, but it quickly turned into wheezing. Zack placed a careful hand on the man's back, but Jim shook his head, assuring the young transgenic he was fine.

They entered the garden shed, discarding their farming tools. A soft meow alerted Zack to the resident farm cat and he bent down, picking up the friendly Calico, Milly. She purred in his arms as he cradled the cat, resting his cheek against the feline's head.

"She's due soon,"Jim mentioned, scratching the cat behind the ear. He nodded towards the cat's plump belly. She had become pregnant a couple months back to an orange tabby that also lived on the farm. Zack smiled, softly, holding Milly close. She nipped at his ear playfully before rubbing her head against his cheek.

"How many kittens do you think she'll have, Jim?"Zack asked as he followed the ex-hunter to the farmhouse. Milly was content in his arms and Zack wasn't about to let her go. Jim patted the cat's tummy, humming to himself. Milly meowed in protest, but settled when Zack hushed her.

"I'm guessin' four, maybe five,"Jim estimated. It wasn't the first time Milly had become pregnant. Zack beamed, scratching the cat behind the ear.

"Will we keep them?"Zack asked, letting the cat go. She was done with the cuddling. Her paws hit the floor and she walked off, tail twitching in the air.

"Course,"Jim answered the young boy of twelve. "We need some sturdy farm cats around here or the mouse population will sky rocket." He patted the boy's shoulder, stomping his feet on the welcome mat. "You and Krit can even name 'em. They'll be your own kittens." Zack really liked the idea of helping Milly raise her litter.

Jim opened the door and Buster sauntered over, ready to greet them. He pressed his nose into Zack's thigh and Zack bent down to scratch the dog's ear. Buster had been the first friendly welcome when they had arrived on Franklin's farm, followed by Marie, then Jim. The old sheepdog had made it his duty to care for the two transgenics even sleeping in their room, on Krit's bed, every night. Krit couldn't sleep now without Buster pressed against his side and snoring softly in his sleep. Buster was the first friendly dog they had ever encountered.

They had been afraid at first, having the fluff ball run at them when they first arrived. The boys had nearly climbed up Irv, fingers digging into the hunter as they tried to escape the dog approaching them. They were used to Manticore dogs. Manticore dogs were never friendly. They were bred to rip runaways to shreds. But, Jim managed to settle the dog down. Long enough for the two boys to climb back down and meet Buster at their own pace. They quickly discovered that Buster was a friendly old soul that loved everyone and wanted everyone to love him back. He just wanted attention and loving and wasn't afraid to cover someone in kisses.

"Buster,"Krit called from the kitchen. Immediately, the dog's ears pricked and he trotted out to meet his friend in the kitchen. Krit had a habit of sneaking tidbits to the old dog, quickly gaining absolute loyalty.

Zack stood, swatting the dirt off his jeans and followed Jim into the kitchen. Krit sat at the kitchen table, Buster hovering around his seat. The sheepdog's large head rested on Krit's lap, tail wagging as he watched Krit devour a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Whenever Marie wasn't looking, he'd sneak a bite to Buster, who devoured the tasty morsel greedily before resting his head back on Krit's lap, demanding for another bite.

"There you are,"Marie fussed. Her gray hair was held in a bun as she moved quickly through the kitchen, collecting fruit and cutting the crusty corners off Zack's sandwich. She knew he hated crust and always prepared a special sandwich for him. The jelly was homemade which made peanut butter and jelly even better. "Go wash up and you can join your brother for lunch." She gave her husband a pointed look. "You too, mister." Jim held up his hands, chuckling at his wife's demanding tone before heading towards the bathroom to wash his hands and face.

Zack did the same, but caught a glimpse of Marie brushing a hand through Krit's hair in passing. His ten-year-old brother beamed, glancing back at Marie. Krit had been on the younger end in their unit. Zack had been the oldest which had dubbed him big brother.

Zack sat down, lemonade and sandwich in front. Krit had finished his second sandwich and was currently stuffing his face with potato chips. Krit was always hungry and Marie had acknowledged he was a growing boy in need of a lot of food. Jim had his newspaper out as he munched on his lunch, eyes skimming the headline. Buster laid at Krit's feet, lapping up the crumbs that fell on the floor.

"Done for the day?"Marie asked. A cloth was in her hand and she way eyeing the peanut butter glob on Krit's cheek. Zack chuckled, knowing his brother was about to receive mothering from the woman. In the next second, her cloth was on Krit's mouth with minimal protest from his brother. He had stopped protesting a while back when he realized Marie didn't give a damn about his manly ego.

Jim grunted in response, turning the newspaper as he read the local news. Nothing exciting besides the state fair coming soon. He'd take the boys to that when it came around. Marie rolled her eyes at her husband's lacking response.

"Yes, Ma'am,"Zack answered on behalf of Jim. He smiled warmly at the older woman.

"Too hot out there,"Krit explained, tossing another chip to Buster. "I don't like the heat." Zack shot his brother a look, but Krit shrugged. It was the truth. The sun wasn't friendly to hot blooded transgenics.

"Well, it's a good thing you called it quits then,"Marie praised. "We don't need anyone passing out because it's too hot." She arched her brows, giving a pointed look at her husband. "Especially old men."

"I'm not old,"Jim protested with a grunt. Marie rolled her eyes, patting her husband's hand.

"Just keep telling yourself that, dear,"Marie responded to Jim's scoff with a cheeky smile. The two boys giggled at the rib. "Irv is coming home today." The boys immediately perked. They hadn't seen the hunter in a week. He'd been out helping Joe Tully with a ghoul infestation down at a cemetery in Utah. Tully wanted a second a hunter for assistance. Tully and his wife, Nancy, had recently adopted a couple of transgenic kids as well. Zack narrowed his brows, Fixit and Bugler he believed.

Dean had let Fixit choose her name and she had been insistent to name her new baby brother, Bugler, explaining the baby sounded like a bugle when he cried. Nobody had argued with the decision.

But, Fixit and Bugler were far too young to hunt, so Nancy had stayed behind to watch the kids. Considering Bugler was one and Fixit, four.

"Was the hunt successful?"Zack asked, immediately intrigued. He couldn't wait until Irv decided to take him and Krit on their first hunt. The wait wasn't fair in Zack's opinion, considering Alec and Ben were already out there hunting monsters. Fighting the good fight. He wanted to help too. He already heard from other transgenic kids that their new parents had taken them hunting too.

"Apparently,"Marie answered, spreading jam on her bread slice. Marie and Jim had long retired from hunting, allowing their son to continue the good fight. They were too old to fight monsters, but that didn't mean they had any less gumption to kill a monster if one found its way on their farm and threatened their boys. She pointed to his sandwich. "Keep eating." Zack took another bite of his PB&J.

"I can't wait until we start hunting,"Krit stated, legs swinging happily. "Irv said we could go on the next hunt."

"Hunting isn't as glamorous as you think, son,"Jim interrupted, sipping his lemonade.

"How about you focus on being kids for awhile,"Marie suggested, taking a bite of her bread and swallowing. "There will always be a hunt somewhere." She never wanted to encourage kids into the hunting business. It was a soul-sucking job, but strong people had to perform the task to keep the balance. The only issue was that the two boys in her care were fascinated by hunting, considering their adoptive family were in fact hunters. The general fascination was to be expected.

"But, Alec and Ben hunt all the time,"Krit argued, immediately thinking about the Winchesters. Alec and Ben always had a daring tale to tell. Krit even heard that Biggs went on a hunt with Alec and Ben in early July. It was a double whammy and he had envied the boys. "It's not fair." Zack rolled his eyes at Krit's complaining. Krit had this idea about hunting monsters and the heroics behind it. Zack wasn't as easily enamored. Though he still wanted to help Irv out at some point.

"Winchesters are a bit unorthodox in family raising,"Marie explained. Not that she blamed the Winchester brothers in the way they raised Ben and Alec. She had learned pretty quickly that some monster, demon, angel, or otherwise would sooner or later be gunning for that family. It was just terrible luck that had befallen on the brothers and it was better if the kids were well-prepared and trained in case of a horrible catastrophe. Better safe than sorry, she assumed. The Franklin family didn't have that issue, so they weren't in much of a hurry to push Krit and Zack towards hunting. "Hunting is not a necessary must for you boys."

"Fine,"the two boys grumbled. They finished the remainder of their lunch with orders from Marie to go play. They washed their plates off before running out of the kitchen with Buster trotting behind them. Zack grabbed the basketball next to the front door. Krit was already outside, wrestling with Buster for the tennis ball. He snagged the ball from the dog and Buster jumped up, jaws snapping, as Krit chucked the ball as far as he could. Buster bolted, chasing after the flying ball.

Zack bounced the ball, cocking his head towards the hoop that hung over the garage door."Wanna play some hoops?"Zack asked. Krit nodded, jogging over to his brother. Buster paused before running towards the two boys, dropping the ball.

For a couple hours, Zack and Krit tossed hoops as Buster attempted to steal the ball from them. They threw it over the dog's head, laughing as Buster jumped up trying to bounce the basketball on his nose. The game ended with Krit wresting the fluff ball into a bear hug, while the sheepdog attempted to kiss him to death. Zack soon ended up in the doggy pile as well, head resting on Buster's flank as he stared up at the beating sun and blue sky. Krit whispered to Buster as he rubbed the friendly pooch's belly.

"I like it here,"Krit mumbled, glancing at Zack. Zack smiled wistfully, watching a flock of birds fly overhead.

"Me too,"Zack agreed, glancing at Krit. His wide brown-eyed gaze catching Zack's own blue eyes. The two brothers relaxed, just enjoying the quiet. They could hear Maria and Jim in the house, laughing and talking. Soon, Jim would be out asking the boys for help in the barn as he brought the cows back in. This was the first place they had ever felt completely loved and at peace.

"I hope it never changes,"Krit stated, chewing his bottom lip. His hand played with Buster's ear. "I don't want it to ever change." Krit's biggest fear was being unwanted. Abandoned. Deemed useless. He never wanted to be without a family again, if he could avoid it. He had gotten a taste for normalcy and never wanted to go back to the old ways.

"It won't,"Zack promised, ruffling his brother's hair.

"How do you know?" Krit asked, sitting up a bit. Zack yawned, stretching.

"Because I'm the big brother and I said it won't,"Zack quipped. Krit rolled his eyes, accepting the answer.

They definitely missed the rest of their unit. All their unit brothers and sisters had been really close. But, at the same time, both boys knew everyone was happy and content with their new lives. Happy with the hunters that adopted them.

Even Jace, a sister Zack thought he'd never see again, had been found along with a few others not rescued in the December siege. Though she hadn't escaped with them, but the reunion had still been satisfying when Bobby had finally figured out what facility she had been transferred too. Jace, contently lived in New Mexico with hunters, Rosetta and Abraham Lopez.

Even now, hunters were still finding smaller branches of Manticore. The project was being taken down bit by bit, the biggest blow happening in December when Dean led the forces in total takeover. One day, Manticore would be gone, just a bad memory in a sea of, hopefully, good memories to come.

"You're probably right,"Krit agreed with a shrug.

"I'm always right,"Zack reassured. An engine down the road grumbled to life, causing both boys to perk up. The screen door opened as Jim and Marie came out and stood on the porch. A pipe sat between Jim's teeth, smoke puffing from the top. The boys grinned, immediately standing to their feet. "Irv's back."

The old truck puffed to a stop and Irv stepped out, coughing into his hand and brushing the dust off his pants. "Irv,"Krit shouted, bolting towards the hunter. The hunter easily caught the blur in his arms, pleased by the enthusiastic greeting. Zack jogged at a slower pace with Buster running ahead, barking happily and wagging his tail.

"Did ya miss me, boy?"Irv inquired with a joyful laugh, just as he pulled Zack into a welcoming hug.

"Sure did,"Krit replied. Sneakered feet hit the ground once Krit slid out of the hug. Irv bent down to greet the old sheepdog. "We've been helpin' Jim farm all day."

"Tirin' work, huh,"Irv stated. Krit nodded in agreement at the observation.

"Tell us about the hunt,"Zack requested as Irv slung his arms over both boys' shoulders. Irv could see his parents on the porch, waiting for him to come inside.

"Was it wild?"Krit questioned, enthusiastic about the upcoming hunting story.

"Sure was,"Irv replied to the boy's inquiring question. "Wildest hunt I've been on in a long time." He ruffled Krit's hair. "I'll tell you once I get some lunch. Absolutely starvin'. Afterward, we can play a bit of basketball. What do ya say?" He nodded towards the discarded ball in emphasis to his suggestion. The two boys enthusiastically agreed to the game plan.

They made it to the porch, Jim and Marie pulled their only son into a hug. Marie checking him over for injuries while Krit told him about his and Zack's week. The five entered the farmhouse with Buster trotting behind. Screen door swinging shut.

* * *

 **Well, there's a glimpse of Zack and Krit's new life. I hope you enjoyed the simple, general tale. Please review.**


	14. Partners in Crime

**Thanks for the reviews! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter of Family Matters. Hope you enjoy this one! It's all playful banter and aimless chatter. No real plot line. I apologize for all grammatical errors that may be found in this chapter. unfortunately, I don't have a beta reader. Please read and review!**

Partners in Crime

 _Pitter. Pitter._ Max sat up from her bed, immediately putting her book down. _Pitter._ A third pebble hit her window. She rolled her eyes in silent annoyance as she stood to her feet, pushing open her window. Glancing down, she spotted Alec searching for tiny rocks under her window. She rolled her eyes, placing hands on her hips.

"What the hell are you doing?"she demanded. Alec's head popped up, giving her a crooked smile. Pools of green stared up at her, dirty blonde hair disheveled. He was dressed for the summer. He scuffed his sneakered foot. His white socks with the red stripes were pulled up to his shins with a light dusting of dirt coloring the once white socks, a sandy brown.

"Hey, Maxie,"He called back with a wave of his hand.

"What are you doing here?" she repeated, hunching over. Lucy and Sami had gone to the mall this morning and had yet returned from their shopping endeavors. Even though they invited her, she absolutely despised the mall, quickly declining the offer. A good book and boredom was more tolerable than being stuck at a mall for hours.

"Ben's doin' Ben stuff,"Alec explained with an annoyed shake of the head. Max rolled her eyes, knowing that Alec was referring to Ben's enjoyment of reading the day away or exercising his creative mind and storytelling abilities on paper. "I was bored." He threw his head back in exasperation, an infectious grin on his lips. His freckled nose crinkled as Alec squinted against the sun. "Do you wanna ride bikes with me?"

Max scoffed, crossing her arms. She glanced at the book she was previously reading before answering his question with a shrug. "Sure,"she responded. "Why not." She had nothing better to do and it beat sitting around the house, bored out of her mind. She received a megawatt beam for her answer. She attempted to hold back her own smile, but found it difficult against his charming grin. "I'll be down in a minute."

"I'll be waiting,"he promised. She rolled her eyes fondly, closing her bedroom window.

* * *

She thrust open the apartment complex doors, spotting her friend sitting on the apartment steps. He was jabbing a stick into the cement steps, completely absorbed in his imagination.

"You know-" Alec's head popped up, hearing Max's voice. "a normal person would have just knocked on the door." Alec shrugged, dusting his pants. He took in the appearance of the feisty brunette who had become one of his closest friends.

"Now, Maxie, where's the fun in that?" He threw up his arms, gesticulating wildly. Only Alec could make wild movements appear elegant and planned. "Besides, I'm not normal,"he, immediately, answered. She snorted, hopping the couple of steps down, brown eyes meeting Alec's green. His megawatt grin got larger, if that was even a possibility."And it's far more fun to reenact cliche movie scenes anyways." He winked, happily.

"By throwing pebbles at the girl's window in order to receive attention,"Max quipped, marching towards the shed that housed her bicycle. Alec grabbed his own black bike, following her as she unlocked the shed.

"It worked didn't it,"Alec replied with a grin. "I managed to gain your attention." Max scoffed before entering the shed. She grabbed her red bicycle, wheeling it out.

"By annoying me,"she ribbed. She sent him an accusatory glare. "You could have broken my window. Joann wouldn't have been happy."

"But, I didn't,"Alec answered. He shrug, palms upward. "So, no harm done."

Max grunted. She swung her leg over, sitting on the padded seat as her feet worked the pedals. She rode around Alec, playing with the breaks until she was satisfied by the gear shift. Alec boarded his own bike, following Max as she shot off down the sidewalk. "Maybe, next time you should try a bit of serenading-" Alec chuckled, darting across the road after Max.

"Maybe, I will,"he teased. "Sing some Metallica outside your window at night while playing the ukulele." Max snorted, amused by the mental image of ten-year-old Alec, strumming a ukulele and singing Metallica.

"You really know your way to a girl's heart,"Max ribbed. She swerved in front of Alec, causing him to lose balance for a brief second. "I don't believe Joann, Lucy, or me would appreciate your off-tune singing though."

"Off-tune?"Alec squawked, outraged by the accusation. "My singing is hardly off-tune. I was told that I had a future career as a vocalist. I can prove it to you right now, if you like?" He gave her a challenging look and Max just smirked.

"Now, who told you that?" She challenged, swerving left and then right. "Because I definitely know Sami wasn't impressed by your musical talents." Alec snorted at the memory of his playful singing with Sami, Max's twin sister. They were bored out of their minds and had a karaoke set at their disposal. "She told me, you screeched like a goddamn chimpanzee."

"That's called fake singing for your information,"Alec retorted with a flip of his short hair and an indignant scoff. "And as for my future musical career, an online quiz said I was a rising star. A bonafide superstar." Alec grinned mischievously. "Look out world, here I come."

"Do you honestly believe everything the internet tells you?"Max ribbed, nose wrinkling and a disappointed tsk on her tongue.

"I have reason to believe the internet never lies,"Alec deadpanned. Max rolled her eyes at Alec's forced stupidity. Her friend was a weirdo.

"And what reason is that?" Max asked, breaking and hitting the crosswalk button.

"It tells me what I want to hear,"Alec answered, puffing out his chest. "Especially, those personality quizzes." Max laughed, immediately peddling across the crosswalk.

"That's because you only click on the answers that will give you the most desirable personality summary," Max accused, swerving around a corner. "You don't answer the questions honestly."

"Why would I be honest with a personality quiz,"Alec scoffed at the preposterous statement. "I want the results to gleam on my awesomeness."

"Oh look, two more personality traits discovered," Max quipped, cocking a brow. "And you didn't even need the quiz summary to tell you."

"What's that?" Alec questioned, lifting a brow. Max's mouth quirked mischievously as she rolled to a stop just before they hit the hill.

"Dishonest and narcissistic,"She ribbed with a playful smirk. Alec paused, smile twisting into a sneer.

"Ha, ha, ha,"Alec answered with a roll of his eyes. "Very funny, Maxie. Way to cut a man down." He clasped his his heart with a dramatic flare of hurt. "Your cynicism hurts me."

"Man?"Max exclaimed. Tapping her chin, she wrinkled her nose and quirked her head, taking in Alec's ten-year-old appearance. "Boy,"she decided upon. Her face lit up into a sassy smirk. "Definitely, drama queen."

"I prefer the term king,"he answered, balancing on his bike.

"You would,"she responded. "Mr. drama _king-_ " She emphasized king before pedaling down the hill. The wind whipped around her, pulling at her brown locks. Alec was close behind, gaining speed. Her dark hair flapped in the wind like the sails to a boat. They slowed at the bottom, cheeks flushed and laughing.

They pedaled leisurely, allowing the comfort of nature to pad the silence between two friends. They watched two robins fly past, landing on the grassy field of Sioux Fall's park.

They cruised through the town park. She spotted Jody off duty with Cece, Bullet, Ralph, and Dalton. The three younger kids were playing on the playground while Cece rode her bike with two other girls. Dalton was talking animatedly to another tot on the playground.

"Hi, Jody,"Alec shouted, waving his hand. The sheriff waved back at the two kids as they rode through the park.

"Bye, Jody,"Max farewelled before picking up speed to catch up with Alec, who was currently leaving her in his dust. That wasn't allowed to happen. "Where to next?"

"I'm thinkin' the creek,"Alec replied, happily as he swerved back and forth. "There's tons of tadpools right now. I left a bucket down there last time. I'm sure it's still there." His brows knitted in worry, thinking about the misplaced bucket. Hopefully, nobody had taken his yellow bucket. That would be a real bummer.

"I'm sure it is,"Max agreed. She was pedaling beside Alec now, dodging pedestrians as they enjoyed leisurely summer walks. "Sounds fun."

"Really?"Alec stressed, surprised by how agreeable she was being. Max rolled her eyes. She wasn't obstinate all the time. At least she tried not to be.

"Yeah, dummy, it does,"she answered, attempting to punch his shoulder playfully, but swerving to the side a little too much. She managed to balance herself before the embarrassing fall.

"Now, now,"Alec goaded. "No hitting while pedaling, Maxie. Don't want an unfortunate accident to occur."

"Smart-aleck,"she quipped. Alec beamed at her lame retort.

"That's what you named me." He looked ahead, spotting a dip into the forest along the waterway. "Don't wear it out-" His smile turned thoughtful as he watched life ahead, noting the trees overhead and the talkative bird community above them. He glanced at Max, who shared the same comfortable smile. "Last one to the creek is a rotten egg!" He pedaled harder, gaining speed as he hit the dirt pathway and bounced along the sticks and pebbles.

"In your dreams!"Max shouted back, competitive streak ignited. She couldn't let Alec win by making it down to the creek first. She could hear him hooting and hollering as he dodged trees and logs. Shrubs and Ivy. Her own hoots and hollers carried through the forest as well.

Unfortunately, Alec won. Though his triumph was completely unfair since he had a head start, but that didn't stop the gloating. He hit the brakes, sliding along the dirt path. "I won,"he gloated with his obnoxious laugh. He pointed his finger, purposely riling her up. "I beat the almighty Max!"

"Did not,"she snapped as she climbed off her bike and leaned it against a tree. "You had a head start, Dumbass." Alec laughed, dancing around her.

"But, I still won,"he sang. He paused. Eyes widening mischievously. "That means I'm better than you." He threw a fist in the air, punching upwards.

"No,"she protested, crossing her arms. "It means you cheated." She definitely didn't like losing even over a silly, stupid bicycle race. Alec just loved rubbing it in her face as he danced around her, singing his triumphant. "I'm still way better than you!"

Alec paused, mirth in his green gaze. A sly smile curved his lips. "That's not what the bicycle race told us." He strutted around her, cocky like the tomcat in his DNA cocktail. "Who won, I did. Who lost, you did."

"I didn't lose,"she growled, brown eyes flaring. She huffed in annoyance. "I never lose." She smacked him upside the head and Alec winced, surprised by the sudden attack. He rubbed the back of his head, mouth hanging open at the vicious attack. "See, I won."

"Sore loser,"Alec quipped, leaving his bike against the tree in favor of searching for his yellow bucket. Maybe, he'd catch a few minnows too. Tadpools and minnows were a fantastic combination for observation purposes. He loved observing the differences between tadpool metamorphic stages. Some had legs, some didn't. He loved observing the developing legs and noting the detailed webbed toes that would one day be frog legs.

"Am not,"Max huffed, stomping behind him.

"Are too,"Alec sang as he slid down the embankment to the tiny beach along the creek. She repeated her previous statement, while he argued his own. The 'Am nots' and 'Are toos' continued for way longer than it should have been allowed between two friends. Alec laughed, the moment he spotted his yellow bucket, completely forgetting the childish argument. He ran forward, swooping up his yellow bucket, and held it up, triumphantly. "I found it,"he crowed.

"Congratulations,"Max quipped, tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Wow, Maxie,"Alec answered, holding his right hand over his heart. The bucket hung from his left wrist. "I can really feel the love. The absolute admiration and approval of a search well done." She glared and he smiled. "Really, I mean it. Your encouraging tone of voice actually made me believe in myself. I can do just about anything now." He fluttered his eyelashes. Max snorted. "Thank you."

"Oh, shut-up,"Max responded with a smirk. Alec beamed as she pushed past him. "Don't get too cocky now. I know I'm amazing, but I definitely can't stop idiocy." She gave him a pointed glance before stomping towards the creek and ripping off her shoes to wade in the cool water.

"I was planning to jump off a cliff later, wanna join?" Max's head swerved and her eyes darted to the cheeky grin on Alec's face. She rolled her eyes, shaking her head.

"No,"she quipped.

Alec chuckled, racing after her. He pulled off his own socks and shoes, tossing his footwear onto the sandy beach. He splashed into the creek, purposefully getting Max wet. Max held up her hands, blocking her eyes from the tidal wave of water that enveloped her. She hacked a coughing laugh, drooling out gobs of creek water after the unexpected attack.

"Beautiful, Max,"Alec quipped. "Very ladylike." Alec fell into the creek's current, completely disregarding his clothes. He floated on his back, sighing contently. Max rolled her eyes, kicking creek water into his face. He spluttered, quickly clearing the water from his green eyes. She smirked, enjoying the results of her petty revenge.

"You're gonna scare away the fish,"Max accused, crossing her arms. Alec sat up, murky water surrounding him in muddy clumps. He pulled off his t-shirt tossing it next to his shoes and socks.

"I think you already did that with your huffy, puffy big bad wolf attitude,"Alec responded. His response earned him another mouthful of creek water. He spat out the water in disgust as he wiped at his mouth. Max laughed at his misery.

* * *

They sat on the edge, waiting for the water to clear. Max patted the water surface with delicate fingers. She watched a water bug skim across the top, nearly bumping into a second water bug. She blew on it and the big skittered away, quickly across the surface.

Alec sat on his knees, slightly bent over as he watched a school of minnows swim past. Quickly, he brought his bucket down on the traveling fish. He pulled the bucket up, immediately checking if he caught any fish. He grinned happily.

"Look-" He held the bucket over to Max, who peeked into the bucket. "caught four of 'em." He gazed, cheerfully, into the bucket. "A big one too. Hey, little guy-" He swirled his finger in the bucket satisfied by the little minnow nibbling on his extended finger.

"Talking to fish now, I see,"Max teased, scooting closer to get a better view of the captured fishes.

"I'm a fish-talker,"Alec answered. "I specialize in speaking minnow and whale." Max rolled her eyes, knowing the whale bit came from Alec's obsession with the movie, Free Willy. No matter how many times they watched it, Alec always got worked up during the climax when Jesse and his friends attempt to free Willy from his imprisonment. Max always found it amusing when Alec jumped from his seat out of sudden anxiety for the whale. Sometimes he would even yell at the characters to move faster, shouting that the whale would die if they didn't get it to the ocean fast enough. Max chuckled to herself. Even though he knew how the movie ended, he still reacted the same way as if he was watching Free Willy for the first time.

"Whales aren't fish, they're mammals,"Max quipped, unable to keep the know-it-all out of her voice.

"I know that,"Alec replied, placing the bucket between them. "But, I still speak whale." He said the last statement as if it were factual. Even though both transgenics knew Alec was incapable of speaking whale. She rolled her eyes, deciding to let her friend live in his fantasy world as a whale whisperer. She giggled, thinking the idea would make a great reality television series: Alec Winchester: Whale Whisperer.

"What's so funny?"Alec asked, curious by her sudden giddiness. Max shrugged, grinning at her friend.

"Nothin',"she replied. Alec frowned. He hated being left out of the loop. Especially if an inside joke was involved. She relented, telling him about her brilliant idea. Alec laughed, immediately loving the television series idea. He promised to look into finding a reliable agent and producing team for this up and coming original series. He spoke animatedly, confident that he could spin the idea to their liking. He was pretty damn sure they could make millions on the idea. Max shook her head, giggling at the enthusiasm. After awhile, she sobered and the two friends immediately fell back into a comfortable silence.

Her eyes flitted towards the minnows in the bucket, before settling her gaze on Alec. beads of water rolled down his cheek. Hair still sopping wet from his free falling dive into the creek. "Are you gonna let them go?" Her head nodded towards the bucket full of minnows. Alec shrugged, lifting the bucket.

"Yeah,"he decided. He was here to catch tadpools. Maybe, a few crawdads that lived up the creek under the shade of the maple tree. "I guess I will. They need to be free, after all." He held the bucket up close, peering at the four fishes that circled the bucket's wall. "Bye, my friends. Be free." He brought the bucket down, allowing it to float in the creek. The fishes swam out of the bucket and Alec lifted it back up, a sad, distraught frown on his face. "Miss you already, little buddies."

Max snorted. The snort quickly turned into hysterical laughter as she clutched her stomach, wiping the tears from her eyes. Alec glanced at her with a crooked smirk. "You're so weird." She poked him in the side and he batted her hands away.

"I befriend easily,"he defended, fighting off Max's poking fingers. "I love and I lose love hard."

"But, they're fish,"Max exclaimed, giggling louder. She shook her head, bemused by her crazy friend's antics.

"Doesn't matter,"Alec replied. "Fish have feelings too." He shoved Max a little, but she shoved him back twice as hard. "You'd understand that if you spoke fish." That caused a fresh melody of giggles as she fell over clutching her side. Alec fell backwards, laughing next to her. He gazed up at the sky, watching the dragonflies flitting back and forth.

The snorts and giggles quieted. Max's eyes drifted shut as the sun tickled her skin and warmed her flesh. She was comfortable and happy with just the presence of her best friend. She could tell Alec felt the same way too by the pleasant smile on his face. His feet were burrowing into the sand, digging a small trench. Alec glanced over at her. One of her eyes popped open.

"How's your parent trap plan going?"Alec asked, rolling onto his side to face her. She sighed in exasperation, eyes nearly rolling back into her skull. She knew he had been curious about that. In fact, he had offered assistance in planning the next trap. Joann and Brian were just stubborn and preferred to dance around each other, instead of facing their feelings or doing what their girls wanted them to do. Find love in each other and get married already.

"Dreadful,"she exclaimed, sitting up slightly. "They just don't get it at all. Our efforts are completely futile. Sami and Lucy are getting really frustrated after all the failed attempts."

"That's a shame,"Alec said, digging his fingers in the sand. "Maybe, you should lock them in a closet together. That might do it." Max snorted at Alec's statement, shaking her head. She stroke brunette locks behind her ear.

"Remember, we're tryin' to get them out of the closet in regard to their feelings,"Max retorted, lifting a brow. "Not put them back in." Alec laughed, sitting up.

"Funny, Maxie,"he said, appreciatively. He stood up, stretching his limbs. He considered wading back into the water and checking out the crawdad cove. Max lifted a brow, sitting up. "If it's meant to happen, it will happen."

"Wise words, Yoda,"Max quipped. Alec grinned.

"I thought so too." He quirked his head towards the other side of the creek. "Do you wanna catch a crawdad before it gets dark?" mischievous sparks crackled in his green orbs. "Maybe, we can stick it in ol' man Tucker's mailbox as a revenge prank." Max giggled at the scheme.

Ol' Tucker was a crotchety old man that lived a couple blocks away from Bobby. He hated kids and the other day, Alec had witnessed the old man chasing a group of six year-olds off his lawn, while swinging his cane threateningly at the children. The kids had done nothing wrong. They were just waiting for the ice-cream truck. Plus, it didn't help the old man's case after he insulted Alec a few days back. Alec wasn't the type to forget, until his form of justice was served.

"That's kinda mean," Max protested. Alec's face fell. "For the crawdad that is." She didn't want to hurt an innocent creature for the sake of a prank. "For ol' Tucker, I don't give a flying hoot what you do to him." She grinned, widely, taking pleasure in the plotting of future childhood misdemeanors. "Count me in."

"Really?"Alec exclaimed happily, ecstatic about the opportunity to have a scheming partner.

"I want to get back at the old coot too,"Max stated, seriously. Alec spun happily, grabbing his shoes and socks.

"Well, my dear partner in crime,"he responded. He arched a brow, leaning forward with brimmed excitement. "Do you have any brilliant prank ideas that don't involve crawdads? I personally like the crawdad plan." Max rolled her eyes. Of course Alec liked that plan. It was his plan.

"I may have a few,"Max teased, a skip to her step. This was what she loved to do. She loved to scheme, plot, and set forth her own form of justice. And so did Alec which made them a very dangerous duo.

"Do tell." Her eyes twinkled as both her and Alec put their shoes back on. Alec hung the sandy shirt over his shoulder as they headed towards their bikes.

Max, immediately, delved into her plan with Alec soaking up the new prank scheme with delight. It was late afternoon, when they started leaving the buzz of creek life behind.

While she and Alec bounced ideas off of one another, she realized this was what she valued the most. These moments were what she fought against Manticore for. Why she ran away from the strict regime Manticore enforced. She had wanted a life. She had wanted future opportunity. She had wanted freedom. She glanced at Alec's beaming grin. But, most of all, she wanted a good friend that would agree to help her in every crazy scheme she came up with. A friend that could shoot the breeze and talk about absolute nonsense, yet enjoy the silence of comfortable company. She wanted a friend that could banter and insult without taking offense. She wanted a partner in crime. She had her partner in crime.

Max released a satisfied sigh as she mounted her bike, pedaling behind Alec. His yellow bucket hanging from his wrist. Life wasn't looking too bad for a ten-year-old transgenic girl.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed this snippet of Max and Alec bonding. Please review!**


End file.
